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This article documents the chronology of the response to theCOVID-19 pandemic in July 2020, which originated inWuhan, China in December 2019. Some developments may become known or fully understood only in retrospect. Reporting on this pandemic began inDecember 2019.
TheUnited Nations Security Council passed resolutionS/RES/2532: 'Maintenance of international peace and security', demanding aglobal ceasefire.[1] TheUnited Nations Secretary-General announced that unless the world acts immediately, with "bold and creative" solutions, the COVID-19 pandemic and accompanying global recession would trigger "years of depressed and disrupted economic growth".[2] The Director-General of theWorld Health Organization stated that some nations battling the COVID-19 pandemic who had been taking a "fragmented approach" to suppressing the deadly virus, "face a long, hard road ahead".[3]
TheSecretary-General informed the Security Council that the COVID-19 pandemic was "profoundly affecting" global peace and security across the globe, and he urged it to employ its collective influence to mitigate the protections crisis facing millions of vulnerable people, including those affected by conflicts.[4] The UNDepartment of Economic and Social Affairs urged countries' governments to do more support young entrepreneurs in the face of the pandemic as part of a sustainable recovery.[5]
UNESCO senior official stated that increased pillaging of endangeredWorld Heritage Sites during COVID-19lockdowns will likely result in a large number of stolen artifacts appearing online.[6]
JointUnited Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) andInternational Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) report warns that the world can expect to see other animal-to-human transmission by diseases and states that there is still time to prevent furtherzoonotic pandemics.[7]
At aHigh-Level Political Forum to discuss post-pandemic recovery, Mr. Mher Margaryan, vice-president of theUN Economic and Social Council, announced that the future of theUnited Nations Sustainable Development Goals would "depend on our policy choices today" on the global resolve to act in solidarity.[8]
TheUnited Nations Secretary-General warned that the pandemic had laid bare vulnerabilities to "new and emerging forms of terrorism", such ascyberattacks,bioterrorism and the misuse of digital technology.[9]
TheWorld Health Organization announced that it would shortly issue a brief on the modes of transmission of the new coronavirus, including the matter of airborne transmission.[10]Mona Juul, President of theEconomic and Social Council addressed the inaugural meeting of theHigh-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, noting that the dramatic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic had revealed "weaknesses in our systems and societies", warned that “a new dynamic” was needed to address the negative shocks.[11]
New UN research published by theUnited Nations Office on Drugs and Crime warned of a surge in the trafficking of substandard and faulty medical products, due to COVID-19.[12]
Independent UN human rights expertSaad Alfarargi,Special Rapporteur on the Right to Development, at the second day of theHigh-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, stated that the COVID-19 pandemic had resulted in “a serious setback” for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, urging prioritisation of the most vulnerable.[13]
The UNSecretary General stated at The Global Summit, part of a five-day virtual event organized by theInternational Labour Organization, that decent jobs must fuel the COVID-19 recovery in order to "build back better".[14]
TheUnited Nations Secretary-General called onUN Member States to urgently address the ‘unprecedented’ impact of coronavirus on Latin America and the Caribbean, as it now had the highest rates of transmission, exacerbating the severe poverty, hunger, unemployment and inequality in the region.[15]
TheWorld Food Programme and theUNHCR, the UN refugee agency, issued a joint alert calling attention to even greater food insecurity in Africa because of "aid disruption and rising food prices linked to the COVID-19 crisis".[16]
Mohammed Ibn Chambas,Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of theUnited Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel, warned that COVID-19 andclimate change were fueling inter-communal violence and terrorist attacks and inflaming tensions in West Africa.[17]
TheWorld Health Organization announced that COVID-19 cases globally had more than doubled in the previous six weeks, reaching 12 million.[18]
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights,Michelle Bachelet, warned thatLebanon was "fast spiralling out of control", resulting in destitution and starvation, due to socioeconomic shocks from the pandemic.[19]
Vladimir Voronkov, head of the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism, echoed theUnited Nations Secretary-General in stating the "need to keep up the momentum" in terms of multilateral action to counter the global threat of terrorism during the pandemic, which was magnifying the threats.[20]
As part ofWorld Population Day, theUnited Nations Secretary-General highlighted that the pandemic had deepened "existing inequalities and vulnerabilities, particularly for women and girls", while theUnited Nations Population Fund warned of seven million unintended pregnancies and approximately 31 million additional cases of gender-based violence to come.[21]
The United Nations warned that inMyanmar, the COVID-19 lockdown had laid bare the "stigmatization, discrimination and harassment faced by many LGBTQI people, particularly in rural areas" and committed to assisting the community.[22]
As part of its response to the pandemic, theInternational Monetary Fund called for tax systems to be reformed, including to reduce tax avoidance and tax evasion reduced, to ensure an equitable economic recovery.[23]
The United Nations launched its annualState of Food Security and Nutrition in the World report, which estimates that "130 million more people may face chronic hunger by the end of this year", with the United Nations Secretary General noting that in much of the world, "hunger remains deeply entrenched and is rising".[24] With United Nations estimates of 1 billion children being outside schooling due to the pandemic,Audrey Azoulay, Director-General ofUNESCO, highlighted the need to ensure education for refugee children.[25]
As part of the Ministerial Segment of theHigh-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, theUnited Nations Secretary-General admitted that the planet was not on track year to deliver theSustainable Development Goals by 2030, stating that "our world is in turmoil", due to the pandemic being "a massive global challenge" and noting that there were 12 million infections, 550,000 deaths, hundreds of millions of jobs lost, and the sharpest decline in per capita income since 1870, with approximately 265 million people facing food insecurity by the end of 2020, double the number before the pandemic. The Secretary-General called on Member States to "turn the tide".[26]
In response to a press question, Dr. Michael Ryan, executive director of theWHO Health Emergencies Programme, called for the issue of school reopenings to be decided as part of comprehensive, data-driven COVID-19 public health strategies, rather than politically driven decision-making processes.[27]
United Nations Deputy Secretary-GeneralAmina Mohammed emphasized the importance of the ‘Women Rise for All’ UN forum in shaping leadership in pandemic response and recovery.[28]
Qu Dongyu, Director-General of theFood and Agriculture Organization, launched its comprehensiveCOVID-19 Response and Recovery Programme to ward off a global food emergency during and after the pandemic and to provide "medium to long-term development responses for food security and nutrition", costing an initial $1.2 billion investment.[29]
TheWorld Health Organization andUNICEF called for immediate efforts to vaccinate all children in order to avoid the pandemic worsening access, a problem affecting over 100 countries.[30] United Nation Youth EnvoyJayathma Wickramanayake, along with theWorld Health Organization and theUN Children's Fund, considered via webinar "how young people can maintain good mental health and a sense of wellbeing" during the pandemic.[31]
Mark Lowcock, the United Nations' most senior humanitarian official, warned that the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting recession were set to cause the first increase inglobal poverty in three decades, pushing 265 million people to the point of starvation by the end of 2020, with an appeal to theG20 for $10.3 billion to fight the pandemic in 63 low-income countries.[32]
TheUnited Nations Human Right Council noted that there was a global rise in women prisoners that was accelerating faster than the rate of male prisoners and that COVID measures were "making sentences worse".[33]
TheWorld Food Programme andFood and Agriculture Organization jointly warned that hunger threatened "to soar to devastating levels in 25 countries in the coming months", pushing the world poorest "closer to the abyss" of famine.[34]
United Nations Secretary-GeneralAntónio Guterres, speaking during the High-Level Segment of theUnited Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) session to review progress towards achieving the United NationsSustainable Development Agenda for 2030, stated that COVID-19 highlighted the need for "renewed, inclusive multilateralism" and leadership by ECOSOC, the UN's main body for deliberative and innovative strategizing.[35]
The United Nations highlighted the plight of hundreds of thousands of seafarers stranded at sea, some for over a year, due to COVID-19 travel restrictions.[36]
With Latin America now being the epicentre of the pandemic, theWorld Health Organization expressed concern at COVID-19's impact on indigenous people in the Americas.[37]
TheUnited Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process warned that cooperation between Israelis and Palestinians on the COVID-19 pandemic was breaking down, "putting human lives at risk".[38]
TheInternational Organization for Migration warned that fear of the COVID-19 pandemic was causing fresh displacement in war-tornYemen.[39]
Independent United Nations human rights experts called for Iran to urgently release human rights activistNarges Mohammadi, reportedly ill with COVID-19 symptoms, together with other arbitrarily detained individuals, "before it is too late".[40]
The United Nations High-level advisory board on Economic and Social Affairs released the reportRecover Better: Economic and Social Challenges and Opportunities, calling for "an adjusted approach" to economic development and global solidarity in response to the worst recession in decades and first rise in global poverty since 1998.[41]
The United Nations Secretary-General highlighted that the pandemic could provide a new opportunity to resolve long-standing conflicts and address structural problems in the Arab world.[42]
The incoming United NationsECOSOC President, AmbassadorMunir Akram of Pakistan, outlined a triple focus on the pandemic, the SDGs, and climate action.[43]
The United Nations confirmed that it would host its first ‘virtual’ UNGeneral Assembly in September.[44]
The Director-General of theWorld Health Organization urged people to play their part in preventing further spread of the pandemic, warning of no return to "the old normal" as global cases topped 15 million.[45]
The UN human rights office (OHCHR) reminded authorities in Zimbabwe that theCOVID-19 pandemic should not be used as "an excuse to clamp down on fundamental freedoms".[46]
Tapan Mishra, the United Nations Resident Coordinator inMongolia, warned of a major economic impact from the pandemic and development setback, despite its very few cases of COVID-19.[47]
TheWorld Health Organization urged all countries to make the necessary "hard choices" in order to avoid a new wave of lockdowns and beat the pandemic, as it announced nearly 16 million cases of reported infection worldwide and over 640,000 deaths.[48]
TheWorld Bank's Chief Economist for Africa, Albert Zeufack, launching a new World Bank report, urged African nations to adopt theAfrican Continental Free Trade Area as part of coronavirus economic mitigation measures, due to its potential to increase regional income by around $450 billion.[49]
United Nations Secretary-GeneralAntónio Guterres launched the latest UN policy brief,COVID-19 in an Urban World, noting that cities were 'ground zero' for the pandemic and stating "Now is the moment to adapt to the reality of this and future pandemics".[50]
TheWorld Health Organization stated that the first wave of COVID-19 was still continuing and that the virus was likely not impacted by seasonal changes like other respiratory diseases; it also urged significantly more respect for physical distancing measures to prevent the virus's transmission.[51]
TheFood and Agriculture Organization issued a 'call to action' highlighting the plight of hundreds of millions of smallholder family farmers in Asia-Pacific, who produce the majority of the world's food, and whose livelihoods are disproportionately suffering due to the pandemic.[52]
United NationsSecretary-GeneralAntónio Guterres released his latest policy brief on theCOVID-19 pandemic (The Impact of COVID-19 on South-East Asia), which examines impacts on the 11 countries in Southeast Asia and makes recommendations for a path to sustainable, inclusive recovery that prioritises gender equality.[53]
TheWorld Food Programme was urgently seeking more international support "to prevent millions of Zimbabweans plunging deeper into hunger" due to the COVID-19 pandemic aggravating an already severe hunger crisis in Zimbabwe.[54]
The Director-General of theWorld Health Organization warned that, while older people were among those at highest risk of COVID-19, younger generations are "not invincible".[55]
Alicia Bárcena, head of the UN regional body for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), while noting that the economic crisis caused by theCOVID-19 pandemic was "pushing millions more into poverty", affirmed that the public health crisis had to be addressed in order to address the economic crisis.[56]
Zimbabwe'sMinister of Media, Information and PublicityMonica Mutsvangwa announced that national parks and wildlife centres will be allowed to reopen, and that restaurants will be able to resume indoor dining.[57]
TheAfrican Union revealed that the African continent has lost $55 billion in travel and tourism revenue during theCOVID-19 pandemic. The Union'sInfrastructure and Energy Committee warned that some African airlines may not survive the economic consequences of the pandemic.[58][59]
The coronavirus lockdown imposed in Nigeria'sKano State was lifted.[58]
The cabinet of eSwatini was placed in quarantine after Transport Minister Ndlaluhlaza Ndwandwe tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday.[60][61] Restaurants and casinos reopened in South Africa at a reduced capacity with strict social distancing rules in place.[60]
Authorities in Ghana announced thatPresidentNana Akufo-Addo will enter a 14-day self-isolation after coming into contact with an individual who later tested positive for COVID-19.[62]
Health officials in Madagascar placed the region ofAnalamanga, containing the capital city ofAntananarivo, into a second coronavirus lockdown due to a sudden spike in infections. Under the new restrictions, schools and places of worship have been ordered to close and all non-essential travel has been banned until at least 20 July, with gatherings of more than fifty individuals also prohibited.[62][63]
Newly electedPresident of MalawiLazarus Chakwera announced that both his inauguration ceremony and the country's Independence Day celebrations would be scaled back due to public health concerns.[62]
Kenyan PresidentUhuru Kenyatta revealed his government's plan for a phased reopening of the Kenyan economy. International flights are scheduled to resume from 1 August, and travel bans in the cities ofNairobi,Mombasa andMandera will be lifted on 7 July, although the country's curfew was extended for an additional month.[64][65]
Murtala Muhammed International Airport andNnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in the Nigerian cities ofLagos andAbuja reopened for domestic flights, with all of the country's airports scheduled to be operational again by 15 July.[66]
Certain businesses were allowed to reopen in the Sudanese capital ofKhartoum, including restaurants, markets and non-essential shops, although the nationwide curfew will remain in place for the foreseeable future.[66][67]
Algerian authorities announced that some travel restrictions will be reimposed to slow the spread of coronavirus. Under the new restrictions, travel will be suspended to and from 29 provinces, including the capitalAlgiers, for a week, and testing capacity will be increased by allowing all private laboratories to conduct tests.[68]
South African PresidentCyril Ramaphosa reinstated a law prohibiting the sale of alcohol to reduce the number of people admitted to hospital with alcohol-related injuries, in order to increase capacity for treating coronavirus patients, over concerns of potential shortages of hospital beds in the country. A night curfew was also reinstated to reduce traffic-related accidents, and masks were made mandatory in public.[69][70]
South African health officials announced that a curfew will be reimposed from 20 July and that face masks will be mandatory in all indoor spaces and vehicles in an attempt to slow the spread of coronavirus in the country.[71]
TheSouth African Democratic Teachers Union urged education authorities to close all schools in South Africa due to the rapidly rising coronavirus cases in the country, with general secretary Mukwena Maluleke highlighting evidence suggesting that cases have been rising quicker since the reopening of schools, and that schools remaining open in the current situation puts students and staff at a greater risk of contracting COVID-19.[72][73]
International flights were permitted to resume from airports in Senegal after being suspended for four months. All arriving travellers are required to provide evidence of a negative COVID-19 test result received in the last week; the country's land borders and ports remain closed.[74]
President of the International Olympic CommitteeThomas Bach announced that the2022 Summer Youth Olympics, scheduled to be held in the Senegalese capital ofDakar, will be postponed to 2026 due to the postponement of several international sporting events and the economic consequences of theCOVID-19 pandemic.[75][76]
Health workers in Zimbabwe issued a two weeks' strike notice to the country's government due to low wages and the lack of protective equipment needed to treat coronavirus patients safely.[75]
Nigerian Foreign MinisterGeoffrey Onyeama announced that he would be self-isolating after testing positive for COVID-19, becoming the first member of theNigerian Cabinet to do so.[77]
TheUnited Nations issued an urgent appeal to member states to provide almost $300 million in financial aid to Sudan, in order to assist the country in mitigating theCOVID-19 pandemic and also dealing with the economic consequences.[78][77]
South Africa's Labour MinisterThulas Nxesi andMinister of Mineral ResourcesGwede Mantashe were both separately admitted to hospital after testing positive for coronavirus over a week ago.[79]
President of ZimbabweEmmerson Mnangagwa announced that a night-time curfew will be enforced from 22 July to slow the spread of coronavirus in the country.[79]
President of the Democratic Republic of the CongoFélix Tshisekedi lifted the country's health emergency imposed to control the coronavirus outbreak due to a sustained drop in new deaths. Tshisekedi revealed a three-stage plan to reopen the country's schools, businesses and international borders; from 23 July, non-essential businesses including banks and restaurants will be permitted to reopen, as well as social gatherings and public transport.[80][81]
Managers at restaurants and bars in South Africa urged the government to lift coronavirus restrictions preventing the sale of alcohol after 9pm, claiming that such services provide vital sources of income for businesses.[79]
TheAfrican Development Bank announced an aid package worth $285 million to assist several countries in theSahel region to fight the pandemic. Under the scheme, Niger will receive $110 million, Burkina Faso $55 million and Mali $50 million in loans and grants, and Chad will receive $60 million and Mauritania $10 million in grants.[82]
South African PresidentCyril Ramaphosa announced that all public schools in the country will close from 27 July for four weeks to attempt to limit the transmission of coronavirus, as the number of confirmed cases in South Africa passed 400,000. Ramaphosa also revealed a 500 billionrand ($30 billion) economic support package to fund the healthcare sector in fighting the pandemic.[83]
The health ministry of Senegal announced that four new coronavirus testing centres will be constructed in the capitalDakar to increase the testing capacity for arriving travellers.[84]
South African Trade MinisterEbrahim Patel tested positive for COVID-19, and thus he and all ministers who he had come into contact with entered a period of self-isolation.[85]
President of MadagascarAndry Rajoelina opened a new coronavirus testing centre in the capital city ofAntananarivo, able to accommodate up to 250 patients expressing severe coronavirus symptoms, in response to surging cases overwhelming the country's healthcare system.[86]
President of KenyaUhuru Kenyatta extended the country's curfew by thirty days to reduce community transmission of coronavirus, ordered restaurants to close an hour earlier and banned the sale of alcohol, and instructed bars to remain closed indefinitely. It was also announced that schools and leisure centres could potentially be converted into quarantine facilities if required.[87]
Nigeria'sMinistry of Education announced that secondary schools will be permitted to reopen from 4 August for students preparing for theWest African Examination, scheduled to begin from on 17 August.[88]
The executive board of theInternational Monetary Fund approved $4.3 billion in financial aid to assist South African authorities in mitigating theCOVID-19 pandemic.[89]
TheParliament of Zimbabwe suspended most parliamentary activities after two lawmakers tested positive for COVID-19.[90]
President of The GambiaAdama Barrow announced that he will be self-isolating for two weeks aftervice-PresidentIsatou Touray tested positive for COVID-19. Touray urged the public to wear face masks and adhere to government guidelines.[91][92]
Authorities in Botswana's capital city ofGaborone reimposed a coronavirus lockdown for two weeks following a surge in infections. Under the new restrictions, people are only permitted to leave their homes for essential reasons, with all social gatherings strictly prohibited; non-essential businesses including restaurants, gyms and hotels were also ordered to close.[93][94]
Namibian PresidentHage Geingob announced that all nursery and primary schools in the country, as well as the first two years of high schools, will be closed for four weeks from 4 August to slow the spread of coronavirus, with the social gathering limit decreased from 250 to 100; restaurants and pubs will also be prohibited from selling alcohol.[93] However, an easing of restrictions for international travellers was also announced, with arriving travellers not required to undergo a 14-day quarantine if they present evidence of a negative COVID-19 test result taken at most three days before travel.[95]
United States Secretary of Health and Human ServicesAlex Azar announced that the American government has purchased nearly all of the next three months' estimated production of the only licensed COVID-19 therapeutic,remdesivir, from the biopharmaceutical companyGilead Sciences for use in American hospitals, prompting both domestic and international criticism.[96][97]
California GovernorGavin Newsom ordered the closure of most indoor businesses in 19 counties.[98]
Mayor of New York CityBill de Blasio delayed the planned resumption of indoor dining at restaurants in the city over concerns of a possible rise in infections.[99]
Google announced that the company's offices in the US would remain closed until 7 September after initially being scheduled to reopen on 6 July. The reopening was postponed in response to the surge in coronavirus cases in the country.[57]
Cuba eased lockdown restrictions in the capital cityHavana, as the remainder of the country moved from phase two to phase three. Under the new restrictions inHavana, public transport resumed and beaches reopened, although the government maintained strict social distancing rules and the wearing of face masks.[58][100]
Brazilian PresidentJair Bolsonaro vetoed a law requiring people to wear face masks in shops, schools and places of worship, stating that such a law could lead to violation of property rights.[101][102]
Mayor of Miami-Dade CountyCarlos A. Giménez imposed an indefinite curfew overnight for theIndependence Day holiday weekend. Giménez also delayed the scheduled reopening of entertainment venues including theatres and casinos due to a spike in cases inFlorida.[101]
Governor of TexasGreg Abbott introduced legislation making it mandatory to wear a face mask in public due to rising cases of coronavirus inTexas, with fines of up to $250 for those who are caught not wearing a mask.[101][103]
Authorities in Mexico announced that additional health checkpoints will be installed along theMexico-United States border over concerns of a potential surge of border crossings during theIndependence Day holiday weekend in the United States.[104]
United States PresidentDonald Trump extended the country'sPaycheck Protection Program relief fund for businesses to 8 August.[60][105]
President of ChileSebastián Piñera revealed an economic stimulus package of $1.5 billion to assist the country's struggling economy during the pandemic. The measures available include access to zero-interest loans and subsidised rent.[62]
President of El SalvadorNayib Bukele delayed moving the country into the second phase of lifting coronavirus lockdown restrictions to 21 July, blaming the increasing number of cases.[62][106]
Governor of São PauloJoão Doria stated that the Brazilian government will start the third phase of clinical trials of a potential vaccine for COVID-19 developed by Chinese biopharmaceutical companySinovac Biotech on 20 July, involving 9,000 volunteers.[64][107]
Mayor of Miami-DadeCarlos A. Giménez announced that restaurants must close their indoor dining areas again due to the rapidly rising coronavirus cases inFlorida. This comes as the US death toll reached 130,000.[64]
US PresidentDonald Trump stated viaTwitter that he wants to see all schools in the country reopen after the summer break, despite rising coronavirus cases.[108][109]
Brazilian PresidentJair Bolsonaro tested positive for COVID-19.[110]
Director of theNational Institute of Allergy and Infectious DiseasesAnthony Fauci urged the public to wear face masks in public as a result of the surging coronavirus cases in the US. This came asUnited States PresidentDonald Trump formally withdrew the US from theWorld Health Organization.[66][111][112]
Organisers of theRepublican Party's annual convention inJacksonville announced that all attendees will be required to have a test for coronavirus before entering the convention.[113]
Brazilian PresidentJair Bolsonaro vetoed a law requiring thefederal government of Brazil to provide indigenous communities with COVID-19, including provisions of drinking water and medication. In response to Bolsonaro testing positive for COVID-19 on 7 July,RecordTV andEmpresa Brasil de Comunicação announced that journalists who had interviewed the president would be required to produce evidence of a negative test result before being allowed to resume work.[66][114]
Health authorities in Chile announced that some coronavirus lockdown restrictions can be lifted inLos Ríos Region andAysén Region from 13 July. Under the eased restrictions, non-essential businesses including theatres and restaurants will be permitted to reopen at a reduced capacity, and sporting events can resume with a maximum crowd size of fifty people outdoors.[115]
Governor of New JerseyPhil Murphy announced that the wearing of face masks in public spaces outdoors will be made mandatory.[116]
New York City MayorBill de Blasio stated that students will not reopen fully after the summer break due to health concerns. Students will only attend physical lessons for at most three days a week, with the remainder of education taking place virtually.[66]
Bolivian PresidentJeanine Áñez tested positive for COVID-19, and announced that she would continue to work whilst self-isolating at home.[115][117]
Mayor of the Brazilian city ofRio de JaneiroMarcelo Crivella announced that the city's beaches will only officially reopen when a vaccine for COVID-19 is found.[115]
TheUnited States Department of Labor revealed that a further 1.3 million Americans applied for unemployment benefits in the last week.[115]
American coffee companyStarbucks announced that face coverings will be mandatory at all stores in the US from 15 July.[118]
Mayor of BogotáClaudia López Hernández will raise the Colombian capital's COVID-19 alert level to amber on 13 July, with intensive care units on red alert, due to surging coronavirus cases. López also stated that a "strict quarantine" will be imposed.[119][120]
Governor of CaliforniaGavin Newsom announced that up to 8,000 prisoners will be released from the state's prisons in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus throughout the facilities.[121]
Players and owners of theNational Hockey League in the US and Canada approved an agreement to resume the season from 1 August inToronto andEdmonton, although all games will be played without audiences due to the risk of transmission of COVID-19.[122][123]
Magic Kingdom andAnimal Kingdom atWalt Disney World Resort inOrlando, Florida reopened to the public with a reduced capacity, mandatory temperature checks on arrival, hand sanitising stations throughout the park, and the requirement to wear a face mask. It had been previously announced that all live performances would be suspended when the park reopens to lower the risk of transmission.[122][124]
United States Ambassador to the United Nations Andrew Bromberg stated that the US Government welcomed the inquiry launched by theWorld Health Organization into the origins of theCOVID-19 pandemic in China.[122][125]
Health authorities in the Brazilian state ofSanta Catarina announced that a football match betweenAssociação Chapecoense de Futebol andAvaí FC would be cancelled after 14 players tested positive for COVID-19.[69]
In the United States, aMajor League Soccer game betweenD.C. United andToronto FC was postponed after one of the players tested positive for COVID-19.[69]
In Canada,Premier of OntarioDoug Ford announced that the province will enter the third stage of reopening from 17 July, with nearly all businesses and public spaces being permitted to reopen, as well as allowing gatherings of up to fifty people indoors and a hundred people outdoors, although a strict social distance of at least two metres must be maintained.[126]
Authorities in Honduras extended the country's curfew by a week in an attempt to control the spread of coronavirus.[71]
Governor of CaliforniaGavin Newsom announced that all restaurants, museums, leisure centres, bars and cinemas must close across the state due to surging coronavirus cases, with places of worship, gyms, shopping centres and salons being forced to close in the worst-affected counties.[127] In response, theLos Angeles Unified School District andSan Diego Unified School District announced that all education will resume online after the summer break in August.[71]
Organisers of the 2020Chicago Marathon, scheduled to be held on 11 October, cancelled the event in response to rising coronavirus cases in the US, with scheduled participants offered the choice of either receiving a refund or deferring their place to a future event.[71][128]
TheTreefort Music Fest inBoise, Idaho, which initially had been postponed to September 2020 was further postponed to September 2021 and/or March 2022.[129]
The City Of Toronto cancels all event permits and festivals until 30 September.[130]
Director of theUnited States Centers for Disease Control and PreventionRobert R. Redfield stated that theCOVID-19 pandemic in the US could be controlled in as little as eight weeks if all Americans wore face masks.[72][131]
Secretary-General of the United NationsAntónio Guterres warned that the pandemic has the potential to push the world back "years and even decades" in terms of economic progression, with estimates suggesting 100 million people could be forced into extreme poverty during the pandemic.[72]
TheUnited States Department of Health and Human Services announced that the American government will take direct control of all coronavirus-related data from theCenters for Disease Control and Prevention, which has been criticised for its slow and inconsistent reporting throughout the pandemic. All information will be sent to computer databases inWashington, D.C.[132][74]
Managers at the American retail corporationWalmart announced that customers will be required to wear face masks in-store from 20 July amid rising coronavirus cases in the US.[74]
Organisers of the 2021Rose Parade, scheduled to be held inPasadena, California on 1 January, cancelled the event due to concerns over coronavirus; this is the first time the event has been cancelled sinceWorld War II.[74]
United States Secretary of Homeland SecurityChad Wolf announced that the American borders with Mexico and Canada will remain closed to non-essential travel until at least 20 August to prevent further spread of COVID-19, with Canadian authorities stating that there may be increased surveillance and enforcement along the country's border.[75]
Governor of ArkansasAsa Hutchinson andGovernor of ColoradoJared Polis announced that it will now be mandatory to wear a face mask in public in the states of Arkansas and Colorado. TheGovernor of GeorgiaBrian Kemp continues to receive criticism for preventing cities in the state from mandating the wearing of face masks in public, arguing that cities do not have the statutory authority to make such a decision.[75][133]
Governor of New YorkAndrew Cuomo stated thatNew York City is "not ready" to reopen shopping centres and museums even if authorities move into the next phase of reopening. Cuomo stated that no additional indoor activity will open in the state during the fourth phase of reopening due to the risk of coronavirus transmission.[88][134]
The USCenters for Disease Control and Prevention extended the ban on cruise ships sailing in U.S. waters to 30 September, due to the rapidly rising coronavirus cases in the country.[88]
President of VenezuelaNicolás Maduro announced that coronavirus restrictions will be tightened in the cities ofCaracas andCumaná, and the states ofMiranda andZulia following a rise in infections. Under the "Level 1 - Radical Quarantine" measures, people can only leave their homes for essential reasons, and all non-essential businesses were forced to close.[135]
Canadian Prime MinisterJustin Trudeau revealed further details about the Canadian government's $14 billion economic recovery programme, to restart the economy after theCOVID-19 pandemic. Measures included in the programme includecontact tracing, providing appropriate PPE to healthcare workers, assisting financially struggling municipalities to pay operating costs, and improving long-term social care for the elderly.[88]
United States Secretary of the TreasurySteven Mnuchin stated that policymakers should considerblanket loan forgiveness for smaller businesses that received funding from thePaycheck Protection Program, and also stated that additional funds could be made available, with businesses badly affected potentially entitled to a second emergency loan.[88]
Governor of GeorgiaBrian Kemp announced that he would be suing authorities in the city ofAtlanta afterMayorKeisha Lance Bottoms attempted to introduce legislation requiring residents to wear face masks in public spaces; Kemp claims that city officials do not have the authority to make such a decision.[88][136]
The 2020Indianapolis 500 was delayed until August of the same year.[137]
President of ChileSebastian Piñera revealed his government's plan to gradually reopen the country's economy after a sustained fall in daily infections. Officials stated that the programme will take place for five weeks, although any progress would be subject to epidemiological data and the capacity of the country's healthcare system.[77]
President of El SalvadorNayib Bukele announced that the country will move into the second phase of reopening after theCOVID-19 pandemic, with manufacturing industries and public transport scheduled to reopen on 21 July.[77]
Bahamian Prime MinisterHubert Minnis announced that the country's borders will be closed to international flights and ships from 22 July; Minnis stated that the UK, USA and Canada would be exempt from the restrictions.[138]
Despite announcing yesterday that El Salvador would move into the second phase of reopening after the COVID-19 pandemic,PresidentNayib Bukele postponed all further reopening plans for the foreseeable future after discussions with health experts.[139][140]
United States PresidentDonald Trump announced that the government's daily coronavirus briefings will resume this week.[138][141]
Regional Director for the Americas at theWorld Health OrganizationCarissa Etienne stated that theCOVID-19 pandemic is still rapidly spreading through in the Americas and is showing "no signs of slowing down".[142]
Advanced trials of a potential COVID-19 vaccine being developed by Chinese biopharmaceutical companySinovac Biotech and theInstituto Butantan began in the Brazilian state ofSão Paulo, involving around 900 volunteers employed in the healthcare sector.[79][143]Brazilian Health Minister Eduardo Pazuello also revealed that the government was in discussions with American pharmaceutical companyModerna to potentially get priority in purchasing a possible COVID-19 vaccine being developed by the company.[144]
United States Minority Senate LeaderChuck Schumer urged leaders of theRepublican Party to present details for further coronavirus legislation in theUnited States Congress.[145]
TheNational Football League announced that all spectators will be required to wear face masks when the season resumes in September to reduce the risk of coronavirus transmission.[80]
Mayor of Washington, D.C.Muriel Bowser announced that face masks will be made compulsory in all areas outside of the home due to a recent rise in cases in the city, with authorities citing the effectiveness of similar orders elsewhere in reducing transmission of the virus. Exceptions to the rule include children under three, exercising at a suitable distance from others, and working alone in an office.[146] This comes asPresidentDonald Trump urged Americans to wear face masks in public, the first time he has advocated such a measure.[80][147]
TheUnited States Department of Health and Human Services announced that the U.S. government will pay the pharmaceutical companiesPfizer and BioNTech $1.95 billion to produce an initial order of 100 million doses of a potential COVID-19 vaccine, with the government then able to acquire an additional 500 million doses.[148][149]
Bolivia'sPlurinational Electoral Organ postponed the country'sgeneral election, scheduled to be taking place in early September, to 18 October as a result of restrictions imposed to mitigate theCOVID-19 pandemic and experts predicting that the virus will spike in Bolivia in August or September.[82][150]
The Chilean Parliament passed legislation allowing citizens to withdraw up to 10 per cent of their pension savings to reduce the economic consequences of theCOVID-19 pandemic, althoughPresidentSebastian Piñera must sign it into effect.[82]
Mexican Foreign Affairs MinisterMarcelo Ebrard stated that Chinese officials offered a $1 billion loan to countries in Latin America and the Caribbean to provide any potential COVID-19 vaccine developed by a Chinese company.[82]
The Walt Disney Company postponed the debuts of several films due to theCOVID-19 pandemic. The release of the live-action version ofMulan was postponed indefinitely, and the releases ofAvatar: The Way of Water and a newStar Wars film were postponed to December 2022 and December 2023 respectively.[151]
TheUnited States Department of Labor revealed that over 1.4 million American citizens applied for unemployment benefits in the last week, an increase on the figure reported last week, despite several weeks of decreasing numbers.[82]
The 66th Annual Art in the Park (the major fundraiser for theBoise Art Museum, scheduled to be held in September) was cancelled as an in-person event and shifted to the virtual realm. Two majorJehovah's Witnesses conventions were also cancelled, as was the Veteran's Day Parade.[152][153]
Chilean Health MinisterEnrique Paris announced an easing of coronavirus lockdown restrictions in the capital city ofSantiago. Under the new restrictions, residents of the city's least densely populated suburbs will be permitted to gather in small groups and leave their homes without permission from authorities.[84]
The Nicaraguan Government announced that citizens returning to the country will not be allowed to enter without proof of a negative coronavirus test result in the last 72 hours, which resulted in several hundred Nicaraguan travellers becoming stranded at theCosta Rica-Nicaragua border.[84]
Mayor of Washington, D.C.Muriel Bowser announced that from 27 July, travellers arriving intoWashington, D.C. for non-essential reasons from any area deemed to be a coronavirus hotspot must enter a mandatory 14-day quarantine to reduce the risk of transmission, although the neighbouring states ofMaryland andVirginia were excluded from the restrictions.[154] Despite the increasing restrictions, theUS National Zoological Park inWashington, D.C. reopened with various coronavirus measures in place. Visitors must pre-book tickets, with a reduced capacity, and face masks are compulsory for both visitors and staff; social distancing measures were also introduced with some areas of the zoo implementing a one-way system.[155]
Speaker of the United States House of RepresentativesNancy Pelosi stated that she was not considering an extension to the enhanced unemployment benefits scheme, scheduled to end on 31 July.[84]
White House Press SecretaryKayleigh McEnany stated thatPresidentTrump aims to fully reopen all American schools at the start of the academic year despite concerns from teachers and parents about a potential increase in transmission of COVID-19.[84]
Chilean PresidentSebastián Piñera signed a law allowing citizens to withdraw up to ten per cent of their pension savings to reduce the economic consequences of the pandemic, thus bringing the law into effect.[85]
TheSupreme Court of the United States voted to maintain legislation imposed by the state government ofNevada which prevented more than fifty people gathering together after aCalvary Chapel in Dayton Valley requested changes to the legislation to allow larger religious services.[85]
A study by the international news agencyReuters revealed for the first time that Latin America has the highest number of coronavirus cases than any other region in the world, with over 4.3 million confirmed cases.[156]
The United States Government announced a further $470 million in funding to the biopharmaceutical companyModerna to support the company's development of a potential COVID-19 vaccine, particularly involving the third phase of clinical trials.[86][157]
President of GuatemalaAlejandro Giammattei urged the country's population to remain vigilant as several coronavirus restrictions were lifted: shopping centres and restaurants reopened, and public transport was also permitted to resume, although the night-time curfew and border closures remain in place.[158][159]
Majority leader of theUnited States SenateMitch McConnell revealed further details about a coronavirus economic relief programme proposed by theRepublican Party. Under the scheme, each American citizen will be entitled to $1,200, schools will receive over $100 billion in funding, more money will be injected into small businesses struggling with the financial consequences of the pandemic, $16 billion in funding was allocated to improve individual states' capacity to test for COVID-19, and over $25 billion in funding will be provided to increase production ofpersonal protective equipment and potential COVID-19 vaccines in the US.[90][160]
Organisers ofMajor League Baseball postponed two games scheduled to be held inMiami andPhiladelphia due to concerns over the coronavirus after severalMiami Marlins players tested positive for COVID-19.[161]
CEO ofGoogleSundar Pichai announced that the company's employees will be encouraged toremote work until July 2021 due to surging cases worldwide.[90]
American biopharmaceutical companyModerna and theNational Institutes of Health announced that the potential COVID-19 vaccine being developed by the two organisations and supported by the US government has moved into the late stage of human trials, involving 30,000 volunteers at nearly 90 different sites; half of the volunteers will receive small doses of the vaccine and half will receive aplacebo.[90][162]
Health authorities in Ecuador opened several mobile coronavirus testing centres in schools, sports stadiums and entertainment venues in the capitalQuito after the government declared a "critical situation" in the city after intensive care units reached capacity.[163] Health Minister Juan Carlos Zevallos also announced that medical staff will be patrolling the worst-affected neighbourhoods to carry out spot tests.[164]
Governor of GeorgiaBrian Kemp withdrew his court request to prevent authorities in the state mandating the wearing of face masks in public, after previously attempting to sue the mayor ofAtlantaKeisha Lance Bottoms over the decision.[163]
Organisers ofMajor League Baseball postponed all games due to be played by theMiami Marlins up to and including 2 August after seventeen of the team's players and staff tested positive for COVID-19.[165] The MLB game between thePhiladelphia Phillies andNew York Yankees was also postponed after some members of the Phillies were awaiting COVID-19 test results after playing against the Marlins at the weekend.[166]
Speaker of the United States House of RepresentativesNancy Pelosi announced that all representatives and visitors will be required to wear face masks in theHouse of Representatives to prevent transmission of coronavirus afterRepublican RepresentativeLouie Gohmert tested positive for COVID-19, although members will be permitted to remove their mask when addressing the house.[167][168]
Miami-Dade County Public Schools announced that schools will not reopen physically after the summer break due to theCOVID-19 pandemic in the US, with schools instructed to hold virtual classes from 31 August.[169]
TheAcademy of Television Arts & Sciences announced that the upcoming72nd Primetime Emmy Awards will be held virtually across the United States. It is normally held on its usual venue atMicrosoft Theater in Los Angeles.[170]
TheWorld Bank announced $4 billion in funding to increase the production and distribution of healthcare equipment, includingpersonal protective equipment, ventilators and coronavirus testing kits, to assist developing countries in fighting the pandemic.[167]
Brazilian Science and Technology MinisterMarcos Pontes announced that he will be working remotely and self-isolating after testing positive for COVID-19, becoming the fifth minister ofJair Bolsonaro's government to do so.[171]
Paraguay's Health Minister Julio Mazzoleni announced that a planned lockdown in the country's second-largest city ofCiudad del Este will be eased following violent protests. It was revealed that some non-essential businesses will be allowed to operate during the day, however, bars and gyms must still close, with all large social gatherings strictly prohibited.[172]
Mayor of the District of ColumbiaMuriel Bowser announced that schools inWashington, D.C. will not reopen as planned after the summer break due to the escalating coronavirus situation in the US and concerns from parents and teachers over the safety of reopening schools, with schools expected to organise virtual learning for students.[172]
Governor of WisconsinTony Evers declared a public health emergency and announced that face masks will be mandatory in all indoor areas due to surging coronavirus cases in the state.[173]
President of ArgentinaAlberto Fernández announced that further easing of coronavirus lockdown restrictions in the country would be postponed to at least 16 August due to increasing numbers of cases and concerns of healthcare facilities becoming overwhelmed.[174]
The US Government announced that it will pay over $2 billion to the European pharmaceutical companiesGlaxoSmithKline andSanofi to secure potential COVID-19 vaccines for 50 million Americans. The deal amounts to a total of 100 million doses, two for each patient, with the possibility of purchasing a further 500 million at a later stage, pending the results of clinical trials at the end of the year.[175]
The national carrier of EgyptEgyptAir resumed operations fromCairo International Airport, with airports reopening to international tourists across the country. Museums and landmarks including theGiza pyramid complex also reopened.[57][176]
Israel's national airlineEl Al revealed that the company had a steep decline in revenue in the first quarter, forcing it to reduce the workforce and fleet of aircraft. Bosses are reportedly requesting state-backed loans to ensure the company's survival.[57][177]
Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport in the Lebanese capital ofBeirut reopened at 10% capacity to encourage tourism in the country after theCOVID-19 pandemic.[57]
ThePalestinian National Authority announced that a five-day lockdown will be imposed in theWest Bank after an increase in coronavirus cases.[57]
The Qatari government began a partial reopening of restaurants, beaches, parks and places of worship.[57]
Authorities in the United Arab Emirates stated that residents cannot travel abroad for non-essential purposes yet, and that all foreign travel still requires a permit.[57]
King Salman of Saudi Arabia extended various government schemes to support private sector businesses and investors through the economic consequences of theCOVID-19 pandemic.[58]
The national airline of the United Arab EmiratesEmirates revealed that almost 650,000 refunds had been processed during theCOVID-19 pandemic, resulting in losses of over $500 million, with the company expecting a further 500,000 refunds to be processed in the next two months.[58]
President of IranHassan Rouhani stated that people caught not wearing a face mask in public will be denied access to state services, and that employers who fail to follow government guidelines regarding the safety of their workplaces could have their business closed for a week.[60]
Authorities in Jordan began issuing all arriving travellers with electronic wristbands to enforce the country's coronavirus quarantine rules. All arriving travellers must self-isolate for 14 days at a hotel on theDead Sea, followed by a further 14-day quarantine at home.[178]
Data from theCentral Bank of Tunisia shows that revenue from the country's tourism industry decreased by 47 per cent in the first half of the year, as a direct consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic.[60]
President of the State of PalestineMahmoud Abbas declared a state of emergency across Palestine for thirty days, with residents only permitted to leave their homes for essential reasons.[64]
Non-essential American diplomats have been leaving Saudi Arabia due to the surging coronavirus cases in the country.[62]
Health authorities in Saudi Arabia announced rules for this year'sHajj pilgrimage to attempt to prevent transmission of COVID-19. Restrictions include the mandatory wearing of face masks, strict social distancing between all pilgrims during prayers, reduced capacity on public transport, measures to prevent pilgrims from touching theKaaba, restaurants selling pre-packaged food and drink, compulsory coronavirus tests, and only pilgrims living in Saudi Arabia permitted to travel toMecca.[64][179]
ThePalestinian National Authority extended the coronavirus lockdown in theWest Bank for a further five days due to rising numbers of cases.[113]
In the United Arab Emirates,Dubai reopened borders to international tourists, with mandatory coronavirus tests on arrival for travellers without proof of a negative test result.[113][180]
Emirates, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, announced a further loss of thousands of jobs, including pilots and cabin crew, due to the economic consequences of theCOVID-19 pandemic.[181]
Kuwait's Ministry of Health advised the country's citizens against foreign travel due to theCOVID-19 pandemic, and the increased spread of the virus in spite of the various measures implemented by foreign governments.[119]
President of IranHassan Rouhani stated that all weddings should be cancelled due to the risk of coronavirus transmission, prompting authorities in the capital city ofTehran to close all wedding and funeral venues. Rouhani also stated that Iran cannot close its economy again, largely as a result of international sanctions.[122]
Crown Prince of DubaiHamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum announced a 1.5 billiondirham economic stimulus package to aid Dubai's financial recovery from theCOVID-19 pandemic.[122]
A report revealed that the national airline of the United Arab Emirates,Emirates has reduced its workforce by 10 per cent during the COVID-19 pandemic, with the loss of over 9,000 jobs, after the company temporarily suspended all operations due to public health concerns.[122]
KingAbdullah II of Jordan announced that Jordan has brought theCOVID-19 pandemic under control, and can now prioritise the reopening of the country's economy after unemployment rose to over 19 per cent in the first quarter of the year.[69][182]
ThePalestinian National Authority announced that a night-time curfew will be imposed in theWest Bank due to rising coronavirus cases. The cities ofBethlehem,Hebron,Nablus andRamallah have suspended all travel for four days, with travel between provinces strictly prohibited for two weeks.[69][183]
TheAbu Dhabi Fund for Development in the United Arab Emirates suspended debt service repayments for several countries and companies due to the economic consequences of theCOVID-19 pandemic.[69]
TheInternational Monetary Fund warned that theMiddle East and North Africa region could face a steeper recession than previously predicted as a result of the pandemic.[71]
Tunisian Investment Minister Slim Azzabi revealed that the country's economy is predicted to contract by 6.5% in 2020 as a direct result of theCOVID-19 pandemic.[71]
Authorities in Oman announced that citizens will soon be able to travel abroad, although no date was specified. International travel will require citizens to register with authorities and undergo a mandatory quarantine on return; it was also revealed that the lockdowns inDhofar Governorate and onMasirah Island will be maintained due to high numbers of coronavirus cases.[72]
Authorities in territory controlled byHouthi rebels in Yemen announced an easing of coronavirus lockdown restrictions, allowing the reopening of restaurants, parks and wedding venues, whilst encouraging the public to maintain a social distance and use hand sanitiser regularly.[72]
A spokesperson for the Jordanian GovernmentAmjad Adaileh announced that commercial flights fromQueen Alia International Airport will resume from August to countries on an internationally agreed safe travel list.[75]
Authorities in the United Arab Emirates announced that trials of a potential COVID-19 vaccine being developed jointly by theChina National Pharmaceutical Group, theUAE's Ministry of Health and the private company G42 Healthcare had entered the third phase, involving 15,000 volunteers, the first such trials to be carried out worldwide.[75]
Commercial flights between Iran and the United Arab Emirates resumed after anEmirates plane flew fromDubai toTehran.[88]
The leaders of theG20 took part in a virtual meeting hosted by the Saudi capital ofRiyadh to discuss the recovery of the global economy. The G20 had previously announced a one-year debt freeze for poorer countries, althoughWorld Bank PresidentDavid Malpass recommended that the scheme be extended to 2022. The G20 leaders concluded the meeting by stating that a possible extension to the debt suspension scheme would be discussed further at the2020 G20 Riyadh summit.[184]
Iran'sCivil Aviation Organisation announced that Turkish authorities suspended flights to and from the country due to new outbreaks of coronavirus in Iran.[77]
TheIranian Health Ministry confirmed the country's number of cases to be significantly lower than the 25 million previously suggested byPresidentHassan Rouhani.[77]
Authorities in Saudi Arabia announced that the annualHajj pilgrimage toMecca will begin on 29 July, with social distancing guidelines in place and a heavily reduced capacity.[138]
Authorities in Oman announced that, from 25 July to 8 August, all travel between the country's provinces will be suspended and a night-time curfew will be imposed, during which all public spaces must close, in order to prevent the transmission of coronavirus.[79]
The Egyptian government extended the permitted operating hours for restaurants to midnight, and also increased the permitted capacity to 50 per cent. The operating hours for shops were extended to 10pm; both pieces of legislation will come into effect from 26 July.[80]
The Qatari government announced that the country's borders will reopen to international travellers from 1 August as part of a further easing of coronavirus lockdown restrictions. All arriving travellers from a list of 40 countries deemed to be low-risk will be required to take a COVID-19 test at the airport and undergo a mandatory quarantine for a week whilst awaiting the result; anybody testing positive will be transferred to a secure government facility to self-isolate.[185][186]
The Kuwaiti government announced that the country's curfew will be adjusted to be in place from 9pm to 3am and will be reviewed after theEid al-Adha festival; it was also announced that the third phase of reopening after the pandemic will begin on 28 July. Under the new restrictions, hotels and places of worship will be permitted to reopen and taxi drivers will also be allowed to resume operations.[82]
Newly released data from theWorld Health Organization highlighted that the countries of Qatar and Bahrain have the highest per capita rates of coronavirus infection anywhere in the world.[187]
Iranian PresidentHassan Rouhani urged the public to follow social distancing measures in order to prevent a second spike of infections in the country during the Islamic festival ofEid al-Adha, which begins at the end of July.[85]
Authorities in Kuwait announced that the coronavirus lockdown imposed inFarwaniya Governorate will be lifted on 26 July.[85]
Authorities in Lebanon re-imposed several coronavirus restrictions for a fortnight in response to a recent surge in infections in the country.[90] Under the new restrictions, non-essential businesses including cinemas, places of worship, bars, markets and sporting venues were ordered to close, with shops, schools and banks only permitted to open on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, althoughthe country's main airport, ports, border crossings and businesses deemed to be essential (largely medical, agricultural, industrial and governmental organisations) can remain open. All arriving international travellers will be required to enter a mandatory 48-hour quarantine to receive the results of a COVID-19 test.[188][189]
The internationally recognised Libyan government announced that a full lockdown of its territory will be imposed from 4 August following a surge in coronavirus infections and last for a minimum of five days, with people only allowed to leave their homes for strictly essential reasons.[190]
In the Saudi Arabian holy city ofMecca, a limited number of Islamic pilgrims participated in prayers onMount Ararat on the peak day of theHajj pilgrimage, to enable coronavirus measures. All pilgrims were required to undergo mandatory COVID-19 tests and enter a period of self-isolation prior to the pilgrimage, and must travel in groups of no more than twenty, with strict social distancing measures in place throughout.[172]
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Austrian Foreign Affairs MinisterAlexander Schallenberg warned citizens not to travel to six countries in theBalkans that are not part of theEuropean Union. The six countries were later revealed to be Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia.[57][191]
Belgium moved into phase 4 of the country's plan to ease coronavirus lockdown restrictions, with cinemas, casinos and concert halls reopening and 'social bubble' sizes expanding from ten to fifteen people.[191]
TheEuropean Union reopened borders to travellers from fifteen countries deemed to be low-risk for coronavirus transmission.[57]
European airline manufacturing companyAirbus announced it would be cutting 15,000 jobs due to theimpact of the COVID-19 pandemic on aviation, with most jobs being lost in the UK, Germany and Spain.[192]
Greek authorities reopened the country's borders to international travellers from some countries, with airports and ports reopening across the country.[191]
Theborder between Portugal and Spain was officially reopened byPresident of PortugalMarcelo Rebelo de Sousa andKing Felipe VI of Spain after being closed for more than three months to prevent the spread of coronavirus between the two countries.[57][193]
TheSwiss Federal Councillor for Home AffairsAlain Berset announced that a 10-day mandatory quarantine will be enforced on all travellers arriving from countries deemed to be high-risk from 6 July, in line with measures introduced by theEuropean Union.[194]
Hungarian Prime MinisterViktor Orbán announced that countries outside of theEuropean Union, with the exception of Serbia, will not be added to the government's list of safe countries.[195]
President of KazakhstanKassym-Jomart Tokayev introduced a second coronavirus lockdown in the country from 5 July after a rise in infections. Under the new restrictions, non-essential businesses have been forced to close and travel between provinces has been limited, although restaurants will be able to remain open for outdoor dining and people will be allowed to leave their homes.[58]
Spanish Prime MinisterPedro Sánchez pledged 9 billion euros of emergency funding for theautonomous communities of Spain to improve the country's regional health services, and suggested possible tax rises to strengthen the country's economy.[58][196]
Authorities in Switzerland revealed that travellers from 29 countries, including the US, Brazil and Sweden, will have to enter a mandatory 14-day quarantine upon arrival in the country from 6 July to prevent the spread of coronavirus.[58]
British Secretary of State for EducationGavin Williamson revealed the British government's plans to reopen schools at full capacity in September. It was announced that children will only be able to mix with their own year group with no large events and regular hand-washing. Williamson further stated that staff and students were not expected to wear face masks and that parents would be fined for refusing to send their child to school; pupils showing any symptoms of COVID-19 must not go to school and schools reporting any cases would have to be closed.[197]
British Prime MinisterBoris Johnson announced an easing of the country's mandatory 14-day quarantine for anybody arriving from abroad. Countries will be placed in a traffic-light system, whereby travellers from countries in the green and orange "low-risk" categories will not have to self-isolate when arriving in the UK.[58][198][199]
First Minister of ScotlandNicola Sturgeon announced that it will be mandatory to wear face masks in shops from 10 July and that children from different households would no longer need to maintain a social distance when outside.[200]
TheEuropean Commissioner for Health and Food SafetyStella Kyriakidou announced that theEuropean Commission has approved the use ofremdesivir to treat severe cases of coronavirus, the first such drug approved by theEuropean Union.[101][201]
In France, theCour de Justice de la République, a court specialising in government misconduct, announced that an inquiry into the actions of several government ministers' handling of theCOVID-19 pandemic will be opened, including formerPrime Minister of FranceEdouard Philippe, formerHealth MinisterAgnès Buzyn and currentHealth MinisterOlivier Véran. The court revealed that all three were accused of "failing to fight a disaster".[101][202][203]
French national airlineAir France revealed plans to cut over 7,500 jobs after reportedly losing 15 million euros a day.[60]
TheAkim ofEast Kazakhstan RegionDaniyal Akhmetov will impose a full lockdown on the cities ofOskemen andSemey from 5 July due to rising coronavirus cases.[101]
ThePortuguese Ministry of Planning and Infrastructure revealed that the Portuguese government had reached an agreement with shareholders in Portugal's national airlineTAP Air to take a controlling stake, in an attempt to prevent to the company collapsing due to the economic consequences of the pandemic.[101]
Serbian PresidentAleksandar Vučić announced that a state of emergency will be reimposed in the capital city ofBelgrade after a surge in coronavirus cases. Under the new restrictions, it will be mandatory to wear face masks in public and there will be a limit on the size of both indoor and outdoor gatherings.[204]
The British Government announced that travellers arriving from several countries and territories will not be required to self-isolate for 14 days includingIreland, theChannel Islands, theIsle of Man, severalEuropean Union countries,Turkey, all British Overseas Territories,Australia,New Zealand,Fiji,Vietnam,South Korea,French Polynesia, andNew Caledonia.[205] It was also revealed that the British government were discussing the possibility of joining the EU's plan to secure supplies of a potential coronavirus vaccine.[101]
TheWorld Health Organization announced that it would be stopping trials of the antimalarial drughydroxychloroquine to treat COVID-19 after they failed to reduce the mortality rate amongst hospitalised patients.[206]
Director of theLouvre museum inParisJean-Luc Martinez announced that the popular tourist attraction would reopen to the public from 6 July with strict social distancing rules in place and some areas of the museum remaining closed to visitors. All visitors will be required to book tickets in advance and wear a face mask.[60][207]
Greek health authorities announced an extension to coronavirus lockdowns in the country's migrant camps due to concerns over the spread of the virus, despite some international criticism that the government has extended the restrictions to limit the movement of migrants.[60][208]
Catalan Health MinisterAlba Vergés announced that a local coronavirus lockdown will be enforced in the province ofLleida affecting 200,000 people due to an outbreak of COVID-19 cases. Under the new restrictions, movement in and out of the area will be heavily restricted by police checkpoints.[60][209] The capital of the autonomous community ofCatalonia,Barcelona, reopened theSagrada Familia to essential workers and their families as part of an easing of lockdown restrictions there.[210]
InEngland, non-essential businesses including pubs, cinemas, hairdressers, places of worship and tourist attractions reopened to the public. Some controversy was generated over theBritish Government's decision to reopen pubs on a Saturday, with the day being referred to by the media as 'Super Saturday', sparking concerns over potential violence and breaches of restrictions.[60][211][212]
Authorities in Greece announced that the country's border will be closed to Serbian travellers until 15 July after the country declared a state of emergency on 3 July in response to rising coronavirus cases.[62][213]
Irish Transport MinisterEamon Ryan stated that the country will ease foreign travel restrictions from 20 July. Similar to measures adopted by the United Kingdom, travellers arriving from countries deemed to be low-risk will be exempt from quarantining for 14 days upon arrival.[214][215]
TheGovernment of Kazakhstan announced a further tightening of lockdown restrictions in the country due to a surge in cases. Under the new restrictions, malls, salons and leisure facilities have been ordered to close for two weeks.[62]
TheBritish Government revealed an investment of over £1.5 billion to support the country's arts industry, with emergency grants available for theatres, museums, galleries and cinemas.[216]
TheLouvre museum inParis reopened to the public with a reduced capacity and strict social distancing rules.[64]
Flights between Greece and the UK were revealed to be resuming from 15 July.[64]
Israeli Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu announced that bars, gyms and events venues will be forced to close with immediate effect as a result of a surge in cases in the country. TheBank of Israel also predicted a six per cent contraction of the country's GDP.[64][217]
British sandwich companyPret A Manger announced that a total of thirty stores across the country will close due to theCOVID-19 pandemic, with more than 1,000 jobs expected to be lost. It was revealed that the company had sales 74 per cent lower than in the same period last year, with monthly losses of as much as £20 million.[64][218][219]
The Armenian Deputy Minister of Sport Artur Martirosyan announced that Armenian athletes will not participate at theCommonwealth of Independent States Games inKazan in September due to public health concerns.[113][220]
The German state ofSaxony revealed that events with more than 1,000 attendees will be permitted to resume from 1 September.[66]
Italian Minister of HealthRoberto Speranza announced that flights between Italy and Bangladesh will be suspended for a week after several passengers tested positive for coronavirus on a flight fromDhaka toRome on 6 July.[113]
Portuguese Prime MinisterAntónio Costa revealed that thePortuguese Government are discussing the possibility of a travel corridor to the UK with theBritish Government after Portugal was initially excluded from the UK's list of safe countries.[113]
Serbian PresidentAleksandar Vučić imposed a nationwide curfew from 10 to 13 July due to the rise in coronavirus cases in the country, with Vučić stating that most hospitals inBelgrade were close to capacity, and therefore social gatherings will be reduced to five people both indoors and outdoors from 8 July.[113][221]
Spanish Transport MinisterJosé Luis Ábalos stated that 1.8 billion euros of financial aid will be provided to transport companies in Spain. It was revealed that the state-owned rail companyRenfe Operadora will receive 1 billion euros of the sum, with the remaining to be provided to private companies.[222]
TheAustrian Government issued travel warnings for the Eastern European countries of Bulgaria, Romania and Moldova due to the rising numbers of cases there, as well as imported cases being recorded in Austria from those countries. Under the new guidance, all arriving travellers from the listed countries will be required to show documentation of a negative COVID-19 test result or undergo a 14-day quarantine.[66]
The German pharmaceutical companyMerck revealed that it had reached an agreement with theEuropean Union to supply the company's potential COVID-19 vaccine upon request to member states of the EU.[66]
President of the Government of CataloniaQuim Torra announced that it will be mandatory to wear a face mask anywhere inCatalonia from 10 July, with fines of up to 100 euros if caught without a mask.[66][223]
The BritishRoyal Collection Trust announced that some of the residences ofQueen Elizabeth II will reopen from 23 July with strict social distancing and hygiene measures in place, as well as the requirement to prebook tickets. The residences named as reopening wereWindsor Castle, theRoyal Mews andQueen's Gallery ofBuckingham Palace, andHolyrood Palace.[115][224]
British Chancellor of the ExchequerRishi Sunak unveiled the British government's plans to mitigate the economic consequences of theCOVID-19 pandemic. It was announced that a VAT cut would be provided for the hospitality industry, astamp duty holiday, and an 'eat out to help out' discount on a selected number of restaurants, whereby diners can receive fifty per cent off of their meal up to £10 per person from Monday-Wednesday. Sunak also announced that £2 billion will be spent on helping 16-25 year-olds to find employment, with businesses scheduled to receive £1,000 for each employee brought off of thefurlough scheme. TheTreasury also revealed a £3 billiongreen recovery plan to create jobs and encourage businesses to become more environmentally-friendly.[225][226][227]
TheWorld Health Organization announced that an independent inquiry will be launched into the organisation's handling of theCOVID-19 pandemic following strong criticism, and eventual withdrawal, from the United States.Director-GeneralTedros Adhanom that formerPrime Minister of New ZealandHelen Clark and formerPresident of LiberiaEllen Johnson Sirleaf would chair the panel.[228][229]
Italian Minister of HealthRoberto Speranza announced that Italian borders will be closed to travellers from a list of countries deemed to have unsafe levels of coronavirus transmission. The countries listed were Armenia, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Brazil, Chile, Dominican Republic, Kuwait, Moldova, North Macedonia, Oman, Panama and Peru.[115][230]
Serbian Prime MinisterAna Brnabić announced that a previously planned weekend curfew would not be enforced as a result of anti-lockdown protests in the capital city ofBelgrade; instead, indoor gatherings will be limited to ten individuals and working hours at restaurants will be reduced.[231]
President of the Balearic IslandsFrancina Armengol confirmed that it will be mandatory to wear a face covering in all public spaces from 13 July, with the only exemptions being for children under six, with fines of up to 100 euros if caught without a mask.[115][232]
British Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and SportOliver Dowden announced that certain leisure and beauty businesses will be permitted to reopen later in the month. Outdoor swimming pools will be permitted to reopen on 11 July, with indoor sports facilities and gyms reopening later on 25 July. It was also confirmed that beauty businesses including tattoo parlours, spas and tanning salons can largely reopen from 13 July, although face treatments will be excluded due to a higher risk of transmission.[115][233][234]
European Council PresidentCharles Michel revealed theEuropean Union's plans to aid economic recovery from theCOVID-19 pandemic. He proposed a 750 billion euro recovery fund, although did not state whether the fund would take the form of grants or loans, althoughFinnish Prime MinisterSanna Marin andSwedish Minister for EU AffairsHans Dahlgren expressed concerns over the potential fund.[119][235][236]
President of KazakhstanKassym-Jomart Tokayev warned that the cabinet may be sacked if the coronavirus situation does not improve in the country by the end of the second nationwide lockdown, imposed on 5 July.[119]
TheNorwegian Government announced that some travel restrictions will be lifted from 15 July, with travel permitted to resume to most countries in theSchengen area (although only some provinces of Sweden are included) and the UK; it was confirmed that the list of safe countries will be reviewed every two weeks.[119][237]
Deputy Prime Minister of RussiaTatyana Golikova stated that Russia could begin lifting restrictions on international air travel from 15 July, two weeks earlier than the scheduled date of 1 August. Flights will only be permitted to countries where cases do not exceed 40 per 100,000 people, where the rate of transmission is less than one, and where the average daily increase in cases over the last 14 days is lower than one per cent.[238]
New quarantine measures came into place inEngland, allowing travellers arriving from a list of 75 countries and all overseas British territories deemed to have low risk of coronavirus transmission to enter without having to undergo an otherwise mandatory 14-day quarantine, in an attempt to boost income for the struggling aviation and hospitality sectors, although the government advised citizens against cruise holidays. Similar measures were implemented inNorthern Ireland, with an almost identical list of safe countries.[119][239]British Prime MinisterBoris Johnson also announced that tighter restrictions on the use of face masks may be needed after they were made mandatory in shops inScotland.[240]
From today,Northern Ireland allowed businesses including gyms, playgrounds, cinemas and arcades to reopen with strict social distancing and hygiene measures in place. Authorities also introduced legislation requiring people to wear face masks on public transport, with the only exemptions being for people with medical conditions, children under thirteen, and on school transport.[241]
TheBulgarian Football Union announced that the start of theFirst Professional Football League's season will be postponed by two weeks due to public health concerns relating to coronavirus, with a new start date of 7 August.[122][242]
Researchers at Germany'sUniversity of Tübingen announced that 4,000 volunteers have registered to take part in clinical trials for a potential COVID-19 vaccine, which began in June.[122]
Swiss football clubFC Zürich announced that the team's next two games have been cancelled after they were placed into quarantine until 17 July due to multiple cases of COVID-19 being reported amongst the team's players and staff, including defenderMirlind Kryeziu.[122]
Hungarian authorities announced that border restrictions will be tightened from 15 July due to rising coronavirus cases in various parts of the world. Under the new restrictions, countries with higher rates of transmission will be divided into "yellow" and "red" categories, with travellers arriving from "yellow" countries being required to undergo a mandatory 14-day quarantine, with borders closed to travellers from "red" countries; Hungarian citizens returning from "red" countries must enter a quarantine and produce two negative test results before being permitted to leave.[243]
Prime Minister of IsraelBenjamin Netanyahu announced that immediate financial aid will be provided to citizens affected by theCOVID-19 pandemic, including disbursements of up to 7,500shekels to the self-employed in response to growing criticism of theIsraeli Government's handling of the pandemic.[69]
Health officials in the Spanish regions ofGalicia and theBasque Country introduced strict safety measures to allow voting in the2020 Galician regional election and2020 Basque regional election to go ahead. Voters were required to wear face masks and adhere to a strict 1.5 metre social distance.[69]
In the United Kingdom, 200 employees at a farm inHerefordshire were forced to self-isolate after 73 individuals tested positive for COVID-19.[244]
IrishMinister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and MediaCatherine Martin stated that authorities were considering introducing tighter measures on arriving international travellers after criticism from opposition politicians, including the possibility of making it mandatory to undergo a 14-day quarantine, which is currently only recommended.[71][245]
President of KazakhstanKassym-Jomart Tokayev announced that the country's coronavirus lockdown will be extended by a further two weeks until the end of July, and that struggling families will be able to access financial aid from the government.[71]
A local court in the SpanishProvince of Lleida inCatalonia suspended the stay-at-home order imposed on the province by health officials despite rising coronavirus cases.[71]
British Prime MinisterBoris Johnson announced that face coverings will be compulsory in all shops and supermarkets in England from 24 July, with fines of up to £100 for those who do not comply with the new rules, although children under 11 and those with certain medical conditions will be exempt.[246][247]
French PresidentEmmanuel Macron announced that face masks will be mandatory in all indoor areas from 1 August.[72]
Head of the German Chancellery and coordinator of the German government's response to the COVID-19 pandemicHelge Braun announced that authorities are considering introducing local travel bans to prevent a second wave of coronavirus infections, and that social distancing and the wearing of face masks in public will likely remain in place for the next few months.[248]
Hungarian Prime MinisterViktor Orbán announced that he will veto the pandemic recovery fund proposed by theEuropean Union if poorer countries receive less funding or conditions such as migration policy conformity are imposed.[72][249]
Italian Minister of HealthRoberto Speranza revealed that restrictive measures will remain in place until August to avoid a possible second wave of coronavirus infections, and that the mandatory 14-day quarantine for all travellers arriving in Italy from outside theEuropean Union will be maintained.[72]
Health authorities in theSpanish autonomous community ofCatalonia re-imposed a stay-at-home order in the city ofLleida and several surrounding towns for 15 days after a surge in coronavirus infections, although must be improved by a judge to come into effect. Under the new restrictions, residents will only be permitted to leave their homes for essential reasons and non-essential businesses will be forced to close, with social gatherings of more than ten people also prohibited.[72][250]
Organisers of the 2020Swiss Indoors tennis tournament cancelled the event due to concerns over coronavirus.[72]
The national rail operator of TurkmenistanTürkmendemirýollary announced that all trains will be halted for a week from 16 to 23 July after some media outlets reported that the first coronavirus cases had been identified in the country.[72]
Austria'sFederal Ministry for European and International Affairs lifted warnings currently advising against non-essential travel to the Italian region ofLombardy after a decline in the number of coronavirus cases.[74][251]
The postponed2020 North Macedonian parliamentary election was held with several coronavirus measures implemented, including strict social distancing rules and the mandatory wearing of face masks.[252]
Authorities on the Spanish island ofMallorca announced that bars and nightclubs popular with foreign tourists inMagaluf andLas Palmas must close to prevent large gatherings of people behaving in a disorderly manner.[253]
British Prime MinisterBoris Johnson announced that an independent inquiry into the government's handling of theCOVID-19 pandemic will be held to attempt to prevent a potentially deadlier second wave of the virus, although Johnson stated that "now is not the time" due to the current situation in the country.[254][255]Health SecretaryMatt Hancock also stated that face coverings will not be compulsory in offices.[74]
TheEuropean Union removed Montenegro and Serbia from the list of countries deemed safe to allow non-essential travel to as a result of rising coronavirus infections in the two countries, effectively re-introducing a travel ban.[256]
Hungarian Minister of the Prime Minister's OfficeGergely Gulyás announced that celebrations scheduled for Hungary's national day on 20 August have been cancelled due to concerns over potential increased coronavirus transmission.[75]
Russian scientific researchers revealed that the country plans to produce 30 million doses of a COVID-19 vaccine domestically in 2020, with the possibility of manufacturing a further 170 million doses abroad.[257] This attracted criticism from governments in the US, Canada and the UK, who claimed that state-sponsored Russian cyber attacks had been carried out on research institutions in their respective countries to attempt to gain information relating to coronavirus vaccine trials, although theRussian Government strongly denied the allegations.[75][258][259]
British Health SecretaryMatt Hancock announced an easing of coronavirus lockdown restrictions in the city ofLeicester due to a decrease in cases. Under the new restrictions, non-essential retail outlets, schools and nurseries will be permitted to reopen from 24 July, although bars and restaurants will remain closed; the ban on social gatherings of more than six people was also maintained, as well as bans on non-essential travel.[260]
Austrian ChancellorSebastian Kurz announced that his government rejected the economic recovery programme proposed by theEuropean Union, arguing that there should not be a long-term debt union.[88]
Leaders from the 27 member states of theEuropean Union met inBrussels to discuss the proposed coronavirus economic recovery programme, which aims to disburse 750 billion euros as part of a long-term recovery plan, with all payments expected to last until 2026.[261]Czech Prime MinisterAndrej Babiš later stated, however, that the EU was no closer to reaching an agreement, and that views on the proposal were widely varied.[88]
Authorities in Israel imposed a weekend lockdown from 17 to 19 July, with non-essential shops, zoos, museums and leisure facilities all instructed to close, although the government reiterated that it was not a stay-at-home order.[88] Russian pharmaceutical company R-Pharm revealed that it has reached an agreement withAstraZeneca and theUniversity of Oxford to manufacture the potential COVID-19 vaccine being developed by the two companies.[88]
Catalan Health MinisterAlba Vergés urged four million residents of theBarcelona metropolitan area to stay at home as a result of a rise in coronavirus cases. All non-essential travel was advised against, with entertainment venues including cinemas and theatres being forced to close, restaurants operating at a significantly reduced capacity, and the social gathering limit being reduced to ten people.[88][262]
British Prime MinisterBoris Johnson announced that fans could possibly return to sports stadiums by October, with a number of pilot schemes scheduled to take place from the end of July; these pilot schemes were later revealed to be held at two country cricket matches from 26 to 27 July, the2020 World Snooker Championship from 31 July to 16 August, and theGoodwood horse racing festival on 1 August. All stadiums will be expected to follow strict hygiene measures, including providing hand sanitising stations and implementing social distancing.[263][264] Johnson also revealed an additional £3 billion in funding to theNational Health Service to prepare for a possible second wave of coronavirus infections, with testing capacity scheduled to be increased to 500,000 a day by the end of October.[265]
The national airline of the United KingdomBritish Airways announced that all of the company'sBoeing 747 planes, equivalent to 10% of the company's entire fleet, will be retired with immediate effect due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.[266]
Authorities in Azerbaijan announced that coronavirus lockdown restrictions will be extended to 31 August after a further surge in cases. It was stated that people in urban areas, including the capitalBaku, must obtain special permission to leave their homes between 20 July and 5 August, with non-essential businesses including shopping centres, restaurants and entertainment facilities all remaining closed; beauty salons were given permission to reopen.[267]
Leaders of member states of theEuropean Union reconvened inBrussels to discuss the proposed 750 billion euro economic recovery plan.[268] Officials stated that several wealthy northern countries had expressed concern over access to the recovery fund; several leaders stated that the negotiations had been challenging, withGerman ChancellorAngela Merkel describing them as "very, very difficult negotiations" andPolish Prime MinisterMateusz Morawiecki stating that it is "highly probable" that a deal will not be reached by Sunday.[269]
Greek authorities extended the coronavirus lockdown in the country's migrant camps to 2 August in order to prevent further spread of the virus.[270]
The British Government temporarily suspended daily reporting on new COVID-19 deaths after some scientists claimed thatPublic Health England has been over-reporting new deaths.[270] Also in the UK, a COVID-19 antibody test developed by theUniversity of Oxford passed the first phase of scientific trials with over 98 per cent accuracy.[271]
Leaders of the member states of theEuropean Union did not reach an agreement on a proposed economic recovery grants after the third day of talks inBrussels. It was reported that the main disagreements lie with the size of the grants, with several countries, led by the Netherlands, stating that 350 billion euros should be the maximum amount, whilst others stated that 400 billion euros should be the minimum amount.[77][272]
French Health MinisterOlivier Véran announced that from 20 July, there will be a fine of 135 euros for people caught without a face mask in indoor public spaces.[273]
Minister-President of the German state ofBavariaMarkus Söder stated that free coronavirus tests will soon be provided for returning passengers at all airports in the state.[77]
Health officials in the Spanish autonomous community ofCatalonia strongly advised residents to stay at home in the municipalities ofFigueres,Vilafant andSant Feliu de Llobregat after a surge in coronavirus cases. Although no mandatory lockdown was imposed, new restrictions included reducing the social gathering limit to ten people, and restaurants operating at a 50 per cent capacity, with strict social distancing measures in place.[274] Authorities inBarcelona also announced that access to the city's beaches will be limited by law enforcement officers as a result of rising cases in the city and its surrounding areas.[77][275]
Danish Business MinisterSimon Kollerup stated that merchant sailors stranded at sea during theCOVID-19 pandemic will be permitted to dock at Danish ports due to a sustained drop in cases in the country.[138]
Organisers of the 2020Ballon d'Or cancelled the award for the first time in its 64-year history due to the impact of coronavirus on the sporting industry.[276]
A spokesperson for the Greek government announced that tighter restrictions will be introduced to control the movement of international seasonal workers, with any agricultural workers leaving the country before 4 August not able to return until further notice. It was also announced that land entry into Greece will be limited to six northern border crossings to control any possible imported cases.[138]
Health authorities in the United Kingdom revealed that the government has purchased 90 million doses of potential COVID-19 vaccines from several pharmaceutical companies includingPfizer,Valneva SE and BioNTech. The British government has already secured 100 million doses of a potential vaccine being developed byAstraZeneca.[277]
Austrian ChancellorSebastian Kurz reintroduced legislation mandating the wearing of face coverings in public spaces including supermarkets and banks as a result of a surge in coronavirus infections in the country.[79]
President of the European CouncilCharles Michel announced that leaders of theEuropean Union had reached an agreement over a coronavirus economic recovery fund dubbedNext Generation EU after four days of negotiations.[278] Under the scheme, 750 billion euros of joint debt will be issued to assist the recovery of the economies of all member states, comprising 390 billion euros of grants and 360 billion euros of low-interest loans. A long-term recovery fund will also provide economic aid from 2021 to 2027.[279][280]
Polish Education MinisterDariusz Piontkowski stated that the government is working to fully reopen schools at the start of the academic year in September, and is working on legislation to ensure the safety of students and staff.[281]
TheRussian Finance Ministry revealed plans to cut government spending by up to 10 per cent (a total of $65 billion) between 2021 and 2023 as a result of increased spending during theCOVID-19 pandemic, with the Russian GDP predicted to decrease by up to 5 per cent in 2020.[79][282]
Spanish Foreign Affairs MinisterArancha González Laya announced that the Spanish government will provide 1.7 billion euros in aid to developing countries to assist them in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.[79]
Sarah Gilbert, the lead researcher of the potential COVID-19 vaccine being developed by theUniversity of Oxford andAstraZeneca, stated that the vaccine could possibly be available for purchase by the end of the year after the first stages of clinical trials showed that the vaccine initiated an immune response in volunteers.[283][284][79]
Spanish Tourism MinisterReyes Maroto stated that theFrance-Spain border should stay open as the recent outbreaks of coronavirus inCatalonia come under control.[80]
Organisers of theNobel Prizes cancelled the traditional banquet, scheduled to be held in December atStockholm City Hall, for the first time since 1956 due to public health concerns relating to the pandemic.[285]
Health authorities in Switzerland expanded the country's coronavirus watch list to include a total of 42 countries; travellers arriving from these countries are required to undergo a mandatory 14-day quarantine upon entry to Switzerland, or receive a fine of 10,000Swiss francs. The new additions to the list included Bosnia & Herzegovina, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, eSwatini, Guatemala, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Luxembourg, the Maldives, Mexico, Montenegro, Suriname and the United Arab Emirates. Sweden and Belarus were removed from the list.[286][287]
President of UkraineVolodymyr Zelensky announced that tourists arriving in the country from Australia, New Zealand and several Arab states will no longer require a visa, in an attempt to increase tourism after the COVID-19 pandemic.[80]
Israeli Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu appointedRonni Gamzu, the director of theTel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, as the country's National Coronavirus Project Manager; Gamzu will be responsible for coordinating the Israeli government's response to the pandemic:Israel Shield.[82][288]
TheDutch Museum Association urgedPrime MinisterMark Rutte to provide the country's arts industry with vital economic support as a result of months of closures during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a large number of smaller businesses warning that they could potentially go bankrupt without further support from the Dutch government.[82]
Statistics Sweden revealed that Sweden's unemployment rate reached 9.4 per cent in June as a direct result of theCOVID-19 pandemic, the highest level of unemployment recorded in the country since 1998. 557,000 people were recorded as being unemployed, 150,000 higher than at the same time in 2019.[289]
Bulgarian Prime MinisterBoyko Borisov entered a period of self-isolation after a senior government official tested positive for COVID-19.[84]
French Prime MinisterJean Castex advised French citizens not to travel to the Spanishautonomous community ofCatalonia after a surge of cases in the region, and also announced that there will be increased controls at French borders with travellers arriving from some countries having to undergo mandatory COVID-19 tests.[84][290]
German Health MinisterJens Spahn announced that travellers arriving from countries deemed to have high rates of coronavirus transmission may be required to take a mandatory COVID-19 test at the airport or undergo a 14-day quarantine.[291]
Italian Health MinisterRoberto Speranza announced that any travellers arriving in Italy from Bulgaria and Romania would be required to enter a mandatory quarantine to prevent the importation of any COVID-19 cases.[84]
Norwegian health authorities announced that any travellers arriving in the country from Spain will be required to enter a mandatory 10-day quarantine as a result of surging cases there. It was also announced that free travel will resume between Norway and the Swedish regions ofKalmar,Örebro,Östergötland andVärmland.[292]
Spanish Minister for Foreign AffairsArancha González Laya stated that the recent localised outbreaks of coronavirus in the country were under control and affected communities had been promptly isolated. González also stated that discussions were ongoing with foreign governments to arrange travel restrictions.[293]
The British Government announced that travellers arriving in the country from mainland Spain will be required to enter a 14-day self-isolation due to a recent outbreak of cases in several regions, and that Spain had been removed from the government's list of safe countries and thus all non-essential travel was advised against, prompting several airlines and tour operators to cancel flights.[85][294]
European tour operatorTUI cancelled all holiday bookings to mainland Spain up to 9 August and all bookings to theCanary Islands andBalearic Islands up to 4 August due to international travel restrictions imposed in response to a surge in coronavirus cases in some Spanish regions.[295]
French health authorities announced thatPCR nasal swab tests for COVID-19 will be made available for free in response to a rise in new cases recorded in the country.[86]
Health authorities in the Bavarian district ofDingolfing-Landau imposed a lockdown on 480 employees at a farm after a recent outbreak led to over 170 testing positive for COVID-19.[86][296]
President of the Italian region of CampaniaVincenzo De Luca announced that people who do not wear a face mask in indoor areas in the city ofSalerno will receive a 1,000euro fine, with transport operators receiving powers to deny access to passengers who refuse to wear a mask. It was also announced that businesses failing to comply with coronavirus restrictions imposed by the regional or national government could also be fined and be ordered to close for up to thirty days.[86][297]
Restaurants and nightclubs were ordered to close and people were advised to stay at home in the Austrian town ofSt. Wolfgang im Salzkammergut after a recent outbreak of cases there, thought to be linked to the town's nightlife.[90]
Belgian Prime MinisterSophie Wilmès announced a further tightening of coronavirus restrictions in response to rising cases in the country, in effect from 29 July. Under the new restrictions, the social gathering limit will be reduced from fifteen to five people, andremote work will be "strongly encouraged" by the Belgian government. All cultural events in the worst-affected municipalities will be prohibited, with indoor venues only permitted to have a maximum audience size of 100 and outdoor venues only permitted to have 200.[90]
Minister-President of the German state ofBavariaMarkus Söder announced that free-to-use coronavirus testing facilities will be constructed at train stations in the cities ofMunich andNuremberg, as well as at three major motorway routes near theAustria-Germany border: the border crossing at Walserberg in Austria, and near the Bavarian towns ofPocking andKiefersfelden.[90][298]German Health MinisterJens Spahn also announced that all travellers returning to Germany from countries deemed to be at a higher risk of coronavirus transmission will be required to have a mandatory test for the virus to prevent the possible importation of cases.[90]
Health authorities in Greece announced that the government will likely extend legislation requiring people to wear face masks in shopping centres and places of worship.[90]
Irish airlineRyanair reported a loss of 185 million euros in the first financial quarter of 2020 as a direct result of restrictions imposed during theCOVID-19 pandemic, with passenger numbers falling by as much as 99 per cent.[299]
Spanish Foreign Affairs MinisterArancha González Laya stated that negotiations were ongoing with British authorities to exclude theCanary Islands andBalearic Islands from the UK's 14-day quarantine measures for returning travellers, arguing that the coronavirus situation on the islands is on a similar level to in the UK.[300]
British Minister of State for Health and Social CareHelen Whately stated that authorities are reviewing the coronavirus situation in several countries, including France and Germany, after criticism surrounding the abrupt quarantine imposed on travellers returning from Spain by the British government.[301]
American pharmaceutical companyPfizer announced that negotiations are ongoing with theEuropean Union and several individual member states to agree on the sale of the company's potential COVID-19 vaccine.[163]
French Transport MinisterJean-Baptiste Djebbari stated that the government will review proposed plans to build a fourth terminal atCharles de Gaulle Airport in the capitalParis as a result of the impact of theCOVID-19 pandemic on the aviation industry, with theInternational Air Transport Association forecasting that global air traffic will not return to pre-coronavirus levels until 2024 at the earliest.[163][302]
Greek Tourism MinisterHarry Theocharis announced that the ports inAthens,Corfu,Heraklion,Katakolo,Rhodes andVolos will reopen to cruise ships from 1 August.[163]
TheItalian Senate approved legislation proposed byPrime MinisterGiuseppe Conte to extend the country's state of emergency to 15 October, granting the government the authority to continue to make decisions regarding theCOVID-19 pandemic without having to pass through parliament.[163][303]
Authorities on the Portuguese island ofMadeira announced that it will be mandatory to wear a face mask in all public areas, both indoors and outdoors, from 1 August, to attempt to prevent an increase in infections.[304]
Spanish Economy MinisterNadia Calviño announced that the government has approved 40 billion euros incredit lines to help businesses deal with theCOVID-19 pandemic. An initial tranche of 8 billion euros was released into the Spanish economy, with 5 billion euros of that going to small or mid-sized businesses.[163][305] TheNational Institute of Statistics also revealed that over one million Spanish citizens have become unemployed during the second fiscal quarter of 2020, largely from the tourism industry.[306]
President of the Spanish Community of MadridIsabel Díaz Ayuso announced a tightening of coronavirus restrictions following surges in infections in several Spanish regions.[163] From 30 July, face masks will be made mandatory in all public areas of the capital cityMadrid, with the only exceptions being for children under six or when exercising, and social gatherings will be limited to ten people. It was also revealed that information campaigns will target the region's youth, to whom the spread of the virus is largely attributed.[307][308]
The Turkish government announced that schools will be permitted to reopen from 31 August as long as the daily infection rate continues to decline. To be certified as "COVID-19 secure" and be permitted to reopen, schools will be required to take several preventive measures, including regular use of hand sanitiser, temperature screening for students and staff on arrival and ensuring that each room is well ventilated; authorities will inspect each school before it is allowed to reopen.[163][309]
TheEuropean Commission revealed that it has paid 63 million euros to secure a limited supply of the anti-viral drugremdesivir from the American pharmaceutical companyGilead Sciences, with orders placed to secure enough doses to treat approximately 30,000 coronavirus patients. Diplomats stated that they hope to secure more orders in the future.[167][310]
Dutch Medical Care MinisterTamara van Ark stated that the country's government will not advise residents to wear face masks in public after mixed scientific evidence received by theHealth Ministry; instead, authorities will emphasise the importance of social distancing to prevent coronavirus transmission.[167][311]
ThePortuguese Foreign Affairs Ministry stated that several member states of theEuropean Union have already breached agreements aiming to ensure freedom of movement between all member countries after coronavirus lockdown restrictions were sufficiently eased to enable such a measure. Authorities cited travel restrictions to Portugal imposed by multiple countries, including Belgium, Finland and Ireland.[312]
Pharmaceutical companiesSanofi andGlaxoSmithKline reached an agreement with the British government to provide up to 60 million doses of the companies' potential COVID-19 vaccine, with clinical trials scheduled to begin in September.[313]
TheWorld Rugby Council approved the dates for the final rounds of theSix Nations Championship, played between England, France, Ireland, Italy, Northern Ireland and Scotland, now scheduled to be held on 24 and 31 October.[314]
The mayors of several French cities announced a tightening of coronavirus restrictions to prevent further transmission of the virus. In the cities ofSaint-Malo andBayonne, masks were made mandatory throughout the city with the only exceptions being for children under 11; authorities inOrleans announced that masks will be mandatory at the city's markets and in the evening along theRiver Loire; the resort town ofBiarritz announced that masks will be compulsory in the city centre and that access to beaches will be restricted at night to prevent large gatherings.[315][172]
TheNorwegian Foreign Affairs Ministry removed Belgium from a list of safe countries to travel to due to rising coronavirus cases in the country, therefore requiring all travellers returning to Norway from 1 August to enter a mandatory 10-day quarantine.[172]
Polish Prime MinisterMateusz Morawiecki stated that his government may re-impose quarantine measures on travellers returning to the country from severalEuropean Union member states, including France and Spain, following recent surges in infections.[172]
British Health SecretaryMatt Hancock announced that coronavirus restrictions will be tightened in the county ofGreater Manchester, and parts ofWest Yorkshire and easternLancashire due to high levels of transmission. Under the new restrictions, people from different households will not be able to meet in homes or gardens, and will not be allowed to mix in restaurants and pubs. The same restrictions were also imposed on the city ofLeicester, in lockdown since 30 June, although restaurants, pubs and other leisure facilities will be permitted to reopen in the city from 31 July.[316][317]
European pharmaceutical companiesGlaxoSmithKline andSanofi revealed that they are in advanced discussions with leaders of theEuropean Union to provide up to 300 million doses of potential COVID-19 vaccines.[318]
TheFrench National Institute of Statistics reported a record 13.8 per cent decrease in the country'sGDP in the second quarter of 2020, directly linked to the closure of non-essential businesses during theCOVID-19 pandemic.[93][319]
TheGerman Foreign Office issued a travel warning against all non-essential travel to the Spanish autonomous communities ofAragon,Catalonia andNavarre following surges in coronavirus infections there, with all returning travellers required to receive either a COVID-19 test or enter quarantine for two weeks.[320][321]
Greek authorities announced an extension of the country's mask-wearing requirements, with face masks now mandatory in all indoor areas and also in outdoor areas where social distancing cannot be maintained.[93]
TheItalian National Institute of Statistics reported that the country'sGDP decreased by 12.4 per cent in the second quarter of 2020 as a direct result of restrictions imposed to control the spread of coronavirus.[322]
Norwegian cruise ship companyHurtigruten instructed 160 crew and around 200 passengers who had travelled on board theRoald Amundsen to self-isolate after three crew members tested positive for COVID-19.[93]
Scottish First MinisterNicola Sturgeon advised the public against all non-essential travel to some northern parts of England, including the entire county ofGreater Manchester, after new lockdown restrictions were imposed there following rises in rates of infection.[323]
British Prime MinisterBoris Johnson postponed the next stage of easing coronavirus restrictions inEngland after rising rates of infection in several northern counties, with casinos, bowling alleys and facial beauty salons remaining closed; it was also announced that face coverings will be mandatory in all cinemas, museums and places of worship from 8 August.[324][325] England'sChief Medical OfficerChris Whitty stated that the country has "probably reached the limit of what we can do".[326]
Malaysian Education MinisterMohd Radzi Md Jidin has announced that schools for other students will reopen in two stages from 15 July. Secondary school pupils, senior primary pupils, and remove class students will return on 15 July while junior primary pupils will return on 22 July.[327]
In Thailand, schools and leisure venues such as restaurants reopened with strict social distancing rules and temperature checks in place.[57]
Malaysian Minister of HealthAdham Baba announced that both Malaysian citizens and foreign nationals traveling to Malaysia would be required to pay fees while undergoing COVID-19 tests.[328]
Managers of the India'sTaj Mahal tourist attraction inAgra announced that it will remain closed for the foreseeable future due to public health concerns.[62]
Pakistani Federal Minister for Education and Professional TrainingShafqat Mahmood announced that all schools, colleges, and universities will reopen on 15 September with strict hygiene measures in place.[115]
Indian Prime MinisterNarendra Modi announced that a nine-day curfew will be imposed inAurangabad due to a spike in coronavirus cases. The state ofUttar Pradesh also entered lockdown for two days due to surging cases.[119][329]
Malaysian Senior MinisterIsmail Sabri Yaakob announced that family entertainment centres including game arcades, karaoke centres, indoor funfairs, edutainment centres for children, and kids' gymnasiums will be allowed to resume operations from 15 July.[330]
Authorities in the Indian-administered territory ofJammu and Kashmir are reportedly considering imposing a regional lockdown after the number of confirmed coronavirus cases there passed 10,000.[122]
India'sDrug Controller General granted approval for the drugitolizumab developed by Indian biopharmaceutical company Biocon Ltd to be used in emergency situations on moderately to severely affected coronavirus patients.[122][331]
Researchers atChulalongkorn University inBangkok announced that human trials of a potential vaccine for COVID-19 will begin with 10,000 volunteers in November, with the aim of producing by the end of 2021.[69]
TheGovernment of Sri Lanka ordered all state schools in the country to close due to a rise in coronavirus cases, with private schools strongly encouraged to close as well.[71]
Human Rights Watch urged theNational Bank of Cambodia and theCambodian Government to suspend debt collection and interest accruals for those who can no longer make the payments as a result of theCOVID-19 pandemic, arguing that debt relief measures provided to struggling citizens by micro-loan providers have not been successful.[332]
The Indian city ofBangalore returned to lockdown for a week as a result of surging coronavirus cases in the country. Under the new restrictions, all non-essential shops were forced to close, with essential shops and pharmacies only permitted to open in the morning. All public transport and travel to different regions was also suspended.[333][334]
Malaysian Foreign MinisterHishammuddin Hussein andSingaporean Foreign MinisterVivian Balakrishnan have announced that cross-border travel and traffic between the two countries will resume on 10 August 2020.[335][336]
Indian Prime MinisterNarendra Modi revealed that several cities and states, including the cities ofBangalore,Pune andShillong and the states ofUttar Pradesh,Tamil Nadu andAssam, will have coronavirus lockdowns re-imposed due to surging infections in the country.[337]
Primary and secondary schools in Malaysia were permitted to reopen in stages due to a sustained drop in coronavirus infections in the country, with strict hygiene measures in place.[74]
Authorities in Indian-controlled territory ofKashmir announced that Hindus will be allowed to make the pilgrimage to the holyAmarnath Temple in theHimalayas, due to begin on 21 July, although only 500 pilgrims a day will be permitted to ensure social distancing measures can be enforced.[75][338]
Indian pharmaceutical companyCadila Healthcare announced that late-stage trials of the company's possible COVID-19 vaccine are due to be completed in March 2021, with the potential to produce 100 million doses of the vaccine every year.[88][339]
Health authorities in the Pakistani province ofSindh extended the lockdown there until at least 15 August in response to surging coronavirus cases, with most non-essential businesses remaining closed, and residents advised to maintain a social distance of three feet and wear a face mask in all public spaces.[88][340]
Malaysian Prime MinisterMuhyiddin Yassin has announced that the Malaysian Government is considering making face masks compulsory following the emergence of 13 clusters after the Government relaxed lockdown restrictions on movement and businesses in June 2020.[341]
Authorities in Nepal announced that international flights to and from the country will resume on 17 August after being suspended during theCOVID-19 pandemic.[79]
Organisers of the holy Hindu pilgrimage toAmarnath Temple cancelled the event due to the surging coronavirus cases in the Indian-controlled territory ofKashmir.[342]
Officials in Thailand stated that the country's state of emergency imposed to control theCOVID-19 pandemic will be extended to the end of August, despite the Thai government not reporting a domestically transmitted case in almost two months.[80]Taweesin Visanuyothin, a spokesperson for theThai Health Ministry, stated that business executives, migrant labourers, film crews and medical tourists will be gradually permitted to travel to the country in an attempt to recover some economic losses; all arriving travellers will be tested for COVID-19 on arrival and must undergo a mandatory 14-day quarantine.[343]
Malaysian Senior MinisterIsmail Sabri Yaakob has announced that it will be compulsory for people to wear face masks in public spaces such as markets and public transportation from 1 August. Violators may face a RM1,000 (US$235 fine).[344]
Malaysian Trade MinisterMohamed Azmin Ali stated that the 2020Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit could potentially go ahead in the capitalKuala Lumpur in November, despite various international travel restrictions imposed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.[85]
Indian Aviation MinisterHardeep Singh Puri revealed that over 800,000 Indian citizens have been repatriated from over fifty countries since May under the government'sVande Bharat Mission.[345]
Malaysian Senior MinisterIsmail Sabri Yaakob announced that the federal government will limit inter-zone movement in Sarawak particularly around the state capital Kuchin in a bid to curb the spread of COVID-19 within that state.[346]
Indian Prime MinisterNarendra Modi virtually opened three high-tech coronavirus testing facilities in the cities ofNoida,Mumbai andKolkata, with each facility having the capacity to perform over 10,000 tests a day.[90][347]
Pakistani Prime MinisterImran Khan urged Pakistanis to continue to follow government guidelines including social distancing and limiting contact with others over concerns that the Islamic festival ofEid al-Adha on 31 July could lead to a surge in coronavirus infections.[163]
Indian pharmaceutical companyHetero Drugs received approval from drug regulators to distribute its version of the anti-viral drugfavipiravir, with sales scheduled to begin from 5 August.[167] This comes as a study in the city ofMumbai found that over half of the city'sslum residents had COVID-19 antibodies, implying that they have previously had the virus, raising concerns over the accuracy of the Indian government's official data.[348]
The Nepalese government reopened hotels, restaurants and casinos to reduce the economic consequences of theCOVID-19 pandemic; permits for climbing several mountains in theHimalayas, includingMount Everest were also issued for the first time in over four months.[172]
Indian automotive manufacturing companyTata Motors reported a net loss of 84 billionrupees during the second quarter of 2020, as a result of declining sales in Europe and China exacerbated by theCOVID-19 pandemic.[93]
Health authorities in the Australian state ofVictoria announced that a stage-three lockdown will be enforced in 36 suburbs north ofMelbourne for a month from midnight on 2 July after a recent surge in cases in the area, prompting concerns over a possible second wave of infections. Under the new restrictions, residents will only be allowed to leave their homes for essential reasons, withPremier of VictoriaDaniel Andrews warning that tighter restrictions could be brought in if the situation does not improve.[57][349][350]
In Japan,Tokyo Disneyland andTokyo DisneySea reopened to the public after closing at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Visitors to the attractions must maintain a social distance, book any admission tickets in advance and undergo mandatory temperature checks on arrival, with the number of entrants at a reduced capacity.[57][351]
North Korea'sMinistry of Public Health has reopened the country's schools and made it mandatory to wear a face covering in public spaces. The country's ban on large gatherings was also maintained.[57]
New Zealand Health MinisterDavid Clark resigns from his portfolio, stating that "he had becoming a distraction in the Government's ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand and health reforms."[352][353]
Japan'sGovernment Pension Investment Fund recorded losses of $77 billion in the most recent fiscal year according to government data, the largest decrease since theGreat Recession. It was directly attributed to theCOVID-19 pandemic.[101][354]
Governor of TokyoYuriko Koike asked residents not to travel beyond the city's borders to prevent the spread of coronavirus, afterTokyo recorded over 100 new cases for the third consecutive day.[60]
TheVictorian PremierDaniel Andrews andNew South Wales PremierGladys Berejiklian have closed the border between their states for the first time since theSpanish flu pandemic of 1918–1919 in response to a spike of cases in Victoria, which recorded 127 cases overnight.[355][356]
In Australia, Victorian PremierDaniel Andrews announced that metropolitanMelbourne andMitchell Shire would re-enter lockdown from 12am 9 July for 6 weeks.[357]
The New Zealand Government has requested thatAir New Zealand andSingapore Airlines managed international bookings to New Zealand over the next three weeks to ensure that quarantine facilities are not overwhelmed. Air New Zealand had confirmed that 5,500 people are confirmed to travel back to New Zealand with the airline over the next three weeks.[358]
The Australian state ofQueensland closed its borders to people arriving fromVictoria as the city ofMelbourne began a new lockdown in response to rising coronavirus cases, with residents given stay-at-home notices for six weeks.[115][359]
TheChinese Ministry of Science and Technology announced that it would be seeking international cooperation to work on developing vaccine and drugs to treat COVID-19.[115] Chinese authorities also stated that no international sports events will take place for the remainder of the year, with the exception of trials for the2022 Winter Olympics, to prevent possible imported cases.[360]
Australian Prime MinisterScott Morrison stated that the number of Australian citizens allowed to return to the country every day will be halved from 8,000 to 4,000 on 13 July in response to rising cases, most notable in the state ofVictoria.[119]
TheEducation Bureau of Hong Kong announced that schools will be immediately suspended from 13 July as a result of a spike in domestically transmitted coronavirus cases in the territory.[119][361]
Scientific researchers at Japan'sFujita Health University published the results of a potentialfavipiravir drug developed byFujifilm to treat COVID-19; results of the tests yielded inconclusive results as to the efficacy of the drug.[119]
The New Zealand Government has announced that overseas-based victims of theChristchurch mosque shootings would receive special border passes and financial help in order to fly to New Zealand for the duration of the gunman Brenton Tarrant's sentencing, which begins on 24 August.[362]
TheGeneral Statistics Office of Vietnam revealed that theCOVID-19 pandemic has resulted in 900,000 job losses in the country, with 18 million people receiving a lower income than before the pandemic. Unemployment in Vietnam's urban communities reportedly rose to the highest level in ten years as a direct result of lockdown restrictions.[363]
Governor of Okinawa PrefectureDenny Tamaki urged American military officials to take tougher preventative measures and have greater transparency after 61 military personnel tested positive for COVID-19 at two differentMarine Corps bases,Air Station Futenma andCamp Hansen, in a matter of days. US military officials responded by placing the bases into quarantine.[69][364]
TheTaipei Film Festival in Taiwan went ahead despite theCOVID-19 pandemic, making it the first in-person film-festival to be held worldwide in 2020.[365]
The Walt Disney Company announced thatHong Kong Disneyland will be temporarily closed again from 15 July due to rising coronavirus cases in the city, although all on-site hotels will remain open with limited services available.[71][366]
Organisers of the 2020Hong Kong Book Fair postponed the event, scheduled to be held from 15 July, after theHong Kong Government announced that large public gatherings will be banned due to rising coronavirus cases in the city.[71]
Health authorities in Hong Kong announced a tightening of lockdown restrictions after several days of rising coronavirus cases, raising concerns of a possible second wave of infections. Under the new restrictions, face masks were made mandatory on public transport with fines of up to 5,000Hong Kong dollars if caught without one; non-essential businesses including gyms and entertainment venues were forced to close and restaurants were told to close indoor dining areas. Social gatherings were also reduced to a maximum of four people.[367][368]
Health authorities in the Japanese capital ofTokyo revealed that they urgently needed to contact around 800 people who had attended productions at the Theatre Molière after several cases of coronavirus were reported in the cast and audience.[72]
In the Philippines,Secretary of the Interior and Local GovernmentEduardo Año announced that house-to-house searches for coronavirus patients will be conducted by thePhilippine National Police to prevent further spread of the virus in the country.[72]
Data fromSingapore's Ministry of Trade and Industry suggested that the country's economy contracted by a record 41% in the second quarter due to theCOVID-19 pandemic; the country's economy entered its first recession since theGreat Recession.[72][369]
TheChinese Ministry of Culture and Tourism announced an easing of restrictions on domestic tourism, with popular destinations allowed to increase visitor capacity from 30 per cent to 50 per cent, and inter province tours also permitted to resume.[74]
Authorities in the Japanese capital ofTokyo raised the city's coronavirus alert level to the highest level following a surge in infections.GovernorYuriko Koike urged residents to avoid non-essential travel outside of Tokyo and also to avoid visiting businesses that have not implemented suitable preventative measures for COVID-19.[74][370]
New Zealand Prime MinisterJacinda Ardern released the Government's COVID-19 response framework, which would involve localised lockdowns in the event there was another community-wide outbreak of COVID-19.[371][372]
Health officials in the South Korean city ofPyeongtaek have asked the country's government to request pre-arrival coronavirus tests for American soldiers stationed atCamp Humphreys following a spike in infections amongst American military personnel there.[74]
Organisers of the 2020Mercuries Taiwan Masters golf tournament cancelled the event, scheduled to be held from 17 to 20 September, due to coronavirus health concerns and international travel restrictions on players and audiences, with the event now scheduled to be played in the same time period in 2021.[74]
Chinese pharmaceutical companyFosun Pharmaceutical received permission from health authorities to begin the first phase of human trials of the company's potential COVID-19 vaccine using technology developed by German company BioNtech.[75]
TheNational Bureau of Statistics of China revealed that the Chinese GDP increased by 3.2 per cent in the second fiscal quarter of 2020 despite theCOVID-19 pandemic, attributed to lifting of lockdown restrictions and the reopening of factories.[75]
Australian Prime MinisterScott Morrison announced a 400 millionAustralian dollar funding programme to provide cash grants to international film studios, with the aim of encouraging companies to work in Australia over a seven-year period, with an estimated AU$3 billion in foreign expenditure and 8,000 jobs predicted to be created under the scheme.[373]
In China, the capital of theXinjiang provinceÜrümqi cancelled more than 600 flights fromÜrümqi Diwopu International Airport after the first case in over five months was confirmed in the province, sparking fears of a potential new wave of infections. Subway services in the city were also suspended.[374]
TheWorld Health Organization announced that the team of international experts tasked with studying the spread of COVID-19 from China will be delayed to the end of July.[88]
Premier of the Australian state ofVictoria,Daniel Andrews, announced that it will now be mandatory for the public to wear face masks in public areas due to the rising coronavirus cases in the state, with fines of up to 200Australian dollars if caught without one.[77]
Health authorities in the Chinese province ofXinjiang declared the capitalÜrümqi and the surrounding area to be in a "wartime situation" due to the recent outbreak of coronavirus infections in the city. Several restrictions were introduced, including a ban on visits to different households and mass COVID-19 screening in public buildings; authorities also urged residents of Ürümqi not to leave the city for non-essential reasons.[375]
Chief Executive of Hong KongCarrie Lam announced a tightening of coronavirus restrictions inHong Kong due to the surging daily infections in the city. All non-essential civil servants were instructed to work remotely, and face masks were made mandatory in all indoor public areas, with non-essential leisure businesses including gyms and theme parks remaining closed for an additional week.[77][376]
Cinemas in several "low-risk" Chinese cities were permitted to reopen at 30 per cent capacity, with mandatory temperature checks on arrival and the requirement for customers and staff to wear face masks; the sale of refreshments was also prohibited.[377] Some cities, including the capitalBeijing, kept their cinemas closed, instead allowing local authorities to decide whether or not to reopen them.[378]
Several major international banking companies in Hong Kong announced that they would be temporarily closing some branches in the city due to a surge in domestically transmitted coronavirus cases. Banks closing some services includedHSBC,Bank of China,Standard Chartered andBank of East Asia.[379]
Health authorities in the Chinese province ofXinjiang announced that free coronavirus tests will be provided to the 3.5 million residents of the capitalÜrümqi after a recent outbreak of cases there.[79] TheCivil Aviation Administration of China also announced that passengers on international flights to China must provide evidence of a negative COVID-19 test result taken at most five days before departure to be allowed to board the plane.[380]
TheNew Zealand Health MinisterChris Hipkins announced that the Government would be investing NZ$302 million into various health services over the next two years including the National Close Contact Service, the National Immunisation Solution, telehealth services, and purchasing more ventilators, respiratory equipment, and personal protective equipment supplies.[381]
Face masks became mandatory in the Australian city ofMelbourne after surging coronavirus cases in the state ofVictoria. TheVictoria State Government announced that workers who do not have sick leave will be able to apply for a payment of 300Australian dollars while they await a COVID-19 test result, after reports suggested that recent outbreaks could be attributed to employees not taking time off work to wait for results.[382]
Hong Kong Secretary for Food and HealthSophia Chan announced that face masks will be mandatory on public transport and in indoor spaces, as well as transport hubs, with immediate effect until 5 August due to recent outbreaks of the virus inHong Kong. Chan also urged residents to only travel for essential reasons.[80]
TheJapanese Health Ministry approved the use ofdexamethasone to treat moderate or advanced cases of COVID-19, after trials showed that the drug significantly reduced the mortality rate.[383]
TheChina National Pharmaceutical Group stated that the company's potential COVID-19 vaccine could be available for purchase by the end of the year, despite previous estimates of trials of the vaccine not being completed until 2021. Researchers stated that clinical trials of the potential vaccine should be completed within three months.[82]
Authorities in Papua New Guinea asked theWorld Health Organization to deploy an emergency medical team to assist the country in mitigating theCOVID-19 pandemic after almost twenty of the country's thirty cases were reported within a week.[82]
Authorities in the Philippines reimposed a ban on non-essential travel both domestically and internationally due to complications with health insurance and surging infection rates in many parts of the world.[82][384]
TheBank of Korea reported that South Korea'sgross domestic product (GDP) contracted by 3.3 per cent in the second fiscal quarter between April and June, making it the steepest decline since 1998. The country's vital exports industry also declined by a record 16.6 per cent.[385]
Authorities in the Chinese coastal city ofDalian placed the city into a "war-time mode" to contain a recent outbreak of COVID-19 cases linked to a seafood factory. New restrictions imposed by the government include mandatory tests for anybody travelling on the city's subway system, nurseries being forced to close, and the potential for some communities to be placed under a lockdown if authorities see no improvement in the situation.[84][386]
TheChinese Civil Aviation Authority revealed that daily commercial flights had increased to approximately 80 per cent of pre-COVID levels, as a result of authorities lifting restrictions imposed on the aviation industry in recent months.[84]
The Chinese capital ofBeijing partially reopened cinemas in districts with lower rates of coronavirus transmission. Under the new restrictions, all tickets must be pre-booked, social distancing must be maintained and venues can only operate at thirty per cent capacity; it was also announced that mandatory temperature screening will be enforced upon entry.[387]
Prime Minister of VietnamNguyễn Xuân Phúc signed legislation prohibiting all wildlife imports and the operation of wildlife markets after considerable scientific evidence of increased transmission involving such industries; tougher penalties for poachers will also be introduced.[85] This comes as Vietnam recorded its first domestically transmitted case of COVID-19 in over three months.[388]
Cruise tour operatorGenting Hong Kong resumed island-hopping cruises around the Taiwanese islands with several coronavirus restrictions: social distancing must be maintained at all times, increased ventilation, routine sanitisation of public areas, and all crew members were placed in a three-week quarantine with mandatory COVID-19 tests before the cruise departed.[389]
North Korean Supreme LeaderKim Jong-un imposed a total coronavirus lockdown and declared a state of emergency in the border city ofKaesong over concerns of a possible outbreak in the city after authorities identified an individual expressing COVID-19 symptoms.[86] The suspected case and all of their social contacts have been placed into quarantine according to North Korean state media.[390]
Health authorities in the Vietnamese city ofDa Nang announced a tightening of coronavirus lockdown measures after Vietnam reported its first two domestically transmitted cases in over three months. Under the new restrictions, gatherings of more than thirty people are prohibited, and non-essential businesses including amusement parks, bars, beauty salons and nightclubs were ordered to close.[86]
Authorities in Hong Kong announced a further tightening of coronavirus restrictions in effect from 29 July after a recent surge in cases. Under the new restrictions, social gatherings of more than two people will be prohibited, all restaurants must close indoor dining, and face masks will be made mandatory in all public spaces, both indoors and outdoors.[391][392]
Japanese Economy MinisterYasutoshi Nishimura urged business leaders to improve coronavirus preventative measures, including increasing the level of telecommunications to encourage employees to work remotely.[90]
Authorities in Vietnam postponed the 2020ASEAN summit to September and instructed over 80,000 tourists in the city ofDa Nang to leave the country after a recent outbreak of domestically transmitted cases, despite not reporting any new cases in three months.[90]
Australian health authorities announced that a medical team will be sent to Papua New Guinea to assist the country in dealing with a surge in coronavirus infections.Australian Prime MinisterScott Morrison also cut short an interstate tour of Australia after reports of several large outbreaks of coronavirus in nursing homes.[163]
Japanese automobile manufacturerNissan reported a $2.7 billion net loss in the first fiscal quarter of 2020, warning that the company could finish the financial year with an annual net loss of $6.4 billion, as a direct result of restrictions imposed to mitigate theCOVID-19 pandemic.[393]
Authorities in Vietnam announced that a two-week lockdown will be imposed in the city ofDa Nang after a surge in domestically transmitted cases there.[163] All public transport in and out of the city has been suspended, and tourists have been told to leave the city as soon as possible; residents must only leave their homes for essential reasons, and all non-essential businesses including beauty salons and bars were ordered to close, with all large sporting, religious and cultural events cancelled. Authorities established several police checkpoints to ensure that the population comply with the measures.[394]
Premier of the Australian state of QueenslandAnnastacia Palaszczuk announced that the state's border withSydney will be closed from 2 August to prevent transmission of coronavirus, and that allQueensland residents returning to the state will be required to undergo a mandatory 14-day quarantine at their own expense.[167][395] Australian health authorities also deployed an emergency medical team to nursing homes in the Victorian state capital ofMelbourne due to a recent coronavirus outbreak there.[396]
Several new coronavirus restrictions came into effect in Hong Kong following consistent increases in daily infections: social gatherings of more than two people were prohibited, restaurants were forced to close all indoor areas, masks were made mandatory in all public spaces, and quarantine measures for crew on planes and cruise ships were tightened.[167]
On 29 July, New Zealand Housing MinisterMegan Woods announced that citizens entering the country temporarily and most non-citizens and non-residents with the exception of family members of citizens, diplomats, or those in the country for theChristchurch mosque shootings trial would have to pay for their 14-day stay in managed isolation. However, New Zealanders intending to return home permanently will be exempt from these charges.[397][398]
Authorities in the Vietnamese capital ofHanoi ordered bars and pubs to close from midnight on 30 July, and announced a ban on large social gatherings, as a result of a COVID-19 outbreak in the city ofDa Nang, as well as state-owned media reporting several cases of the virus in Hanoi andHo Chi Minh City, despite the country having previously gone three months without reporting a single domestically transmitted case.[167]
Premier of the Australian state ofVictoria,Daniel Andrews, announced that face masks will be mandatory in all indoor and outdoor spaces from 2 August, and that residents of the local government areas ofColac Otway,Golden Plains,Greater Geelong,Moorabool,Queenscliffe andSurf Coast will not be permitted to visit other households or have visitors in their homes in an attempt to limit the spread of coronavirus; Andrews did not rule out imposing tougher restrictions if the situation in Victoria does not improve.[399]
Authorities in the Chinese city ofÜrümqi announced a tightening of travel restrictions following recent outbreaks of coronavirus in the city. Under the new restrictions, non-residents planning on leaving the city must test negative for COVID-19 before being permitted to leave if they have stayed there for more than two weeks, in an attempt to contain the outbreak.[172]
Authorities in Hong Kong reversed previous legislation prohibiting restaurants from offering indoor dining due to public disapproval.[172]
Health officials in the Vietnamese capital ofHanoi revealed plans to perform COVID-19 tests on over 20,000 tourists who have returned from the city ofDa Nang following an outbreak of domestically transmitted cases there, with residents instructed to contact their local authorities to receive a testing kit.[172]
Officials in the Chinese city ofÜrümqi announced a further tightening of travel restrictions, with anybody arriving from areas deemed to have higher levels of coronavirus transmission required to undergo a mandatory 14-day quarantine, with arrivals from areas with lower transmission rates required to provide evidence that they are in "good health".[93]
The Indonesian island ofBali reopened to domestic tourists, although international tourism cannot resume until 11 September.[93]
President of the PhilippinesRodrigo Duterte extended several coronavirus restrictions in the capital city ofManila to the middle of August due to rises in infection rates. The capital and surrounding areas were placed into a 'general community quarantine', enabling authorities to restrict the movements of the elderly and children, as well as the operation of non-essential businesses including gyms and restaurants. Duterte also stated that any COVID-19 vaccines available by the end of the year will be free to receive, with the poor and middle class populations prioritised in receiving them, and added that the Philippines will receive priority from theChinese government for vaccine distribution.[93][400]
Authorities in Vietnam recorded the country's first two coronavirus-related deaths in the city ofDa Nang, raising concerns both nationally and internationally of a possible escalation of the pandemic in the country, which had gone almost three months without a domestically transmitted case before a recent outbreak.[401] The island nation of Fiji also recorded its first coronavirus death.[402][403]